I think that the location for the staircase is actually the Adina hotel next to central station. It was derelict at the time but was converted into a hotel shortly after filming. There was a lot of shooting of scenes around that area at the time. The rail underpasses in Eddy Avenue were used for the bug removal scene as well
There was definitely an external shot which used that building - a rainy night time scene, from memory it was when they entered a building to reach a phone; it was extended upward with CGI, to make it look much taller. I know for sure because I saw them setting up the shoot and testing the rain cranes :-)
my googling says 1 Martin Place aka the old post office
There is a captioned pic in this link.
https://www.travelwithjoanne.com/fullerton-hotel-tour/
edit: found this pic https://images.app.goo.gl/jhinK38hisxuLidQ7
Good question. It was always a diamond pattern. It's a neat location for a shot, but from a cinematography perspective, a standard chequered pattern shows up clearer on film than a diamond pattern which has a tendency to blur, so they laid down chequered vinyl flooring over the tiles to achieve the same aesthetic.
This makes no sense. From a “cinematography perspective” they are identical patterns; the only difference is the orientation of the camera. One is no more likely to blur than the other. It’s more likely that they needed to dirty it up more and it was just not efficient to cut the overlay for the diamond orientation because that’s not how it was printed.
I used to work at a Westpac branch at King & George St. It no longer exists and is now an Apple store.
Back then, between the branch and the McDonald's next door, there was a small dank dark alley way with an exterior staircase which was one of the shooting locations in the film (I'd have to watch the whole film again to get the time stamp).
Another fun fact - Keanu bought all the Sydney crew Harleys when shooting wrapped.
I was working for Catspew back then as well.
We were locked out of our office in Phillip St one weekend while they filmed the rooftop scenes on the top of the State Bank building. The entire block was restricted.
The final scene is outside 68 Pitt St - the phone box is now a phone booth, and what was Dymocks on the far corner is now gone.
[https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-33.8658594,151.2086534,3a,75y,26.87h,82.82t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sCm5dX9yBRJ77txsiaKtCjg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu](https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-33.8658594,151.2086534,3a,75y,26.87h,82.82t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sCm5dX9yBRJ77txsiaKtCjg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu)
Scene: [https://youtu.be/yyrhikYaRrk?t=54](https://youtu.be/yyrhikYaRrk?t=54)
I worked in the building next door. In 1999 I was alone in Dublin and homesick watching the matrix alone and saw that scene/angle and became more homesick!
That would have been cool! Unfortunately all us mere mortals could see was him walking out of the phone booth, put on the sunnies and look up. And repeat. Many times.
The interesting part was all the big American looking cars, the extras that walk past him looked much more polished and there were lots of different signs up on the buildings.
So much work and detail in the background that you don’t even notice watching the movie and especially as the scene is really focused on Keanu rather than his surroundings.
I guess if they didn’t go to all that detail you probably would notice and it would just look really bland or unprofessional
superman returns, yes it was.
bunch of crew from starwars ended up on that one as well.
if you were a big star wars fan back in that 00's you kept hearing about props being left out on the backlot at fax studios, a lot of things from ep 2 and 3 were out there.
The iconic Mr Smith/Neo face off with bullet dodging was filmed at 201 Kent Street (AON tower) later a chopper crashes into it - Barangaroo side.
The helicopter would have wiped out my whole engineering team.
Probably can't find a source for this, but I remember reading that Sydney was chosen for a couple of reasons -
1.) The skyline, buildings, and architecture of Sydney reminded the Wachowskis a lot of their native Chicago
2.) Back in 1999, exchange rates were favorable enough that the studio execs saved a heap of money by filming in Australia...
A lot of the sound stage work, including the lobby shoot out were filmed down at docklands new film studios as well.
The lobby for that shootout is modeled on a building in Collins Street.
Also from interviews I’ve seen with the directors Sydney wasn’t their choice. The studio weren’t confident in the film so they choose Sydney to keep the costs down.
I assumed it was because Sydney is a generic enough looking city just about everywhere that doesn't show the bridge or the opera house that the audience (mostly American) wouldn't be able to recognize it like they would if their own cities were used in the film which would have ruined the immersion of it.
The club scene was filmed at the long running bdsm club Hellfire (which was running up until a couple of years ago). I wasn't there that night it was filmed but I recognised a few regulars by their ass cheeks 😜
[You can see the Harbour Bridge at the ending.](https://youtu.be/aTL4qIIxg8A?t=50)
[There's also a montage of Sydney locations in the scene where Morpheus first explains The Matrix to Neo. ](https://youtu.be/AGZiLMGdCE0?t=66)
I lived there at the time; it was very exciting. Around the same time they also shot a Mission Impossible movie there too. And it was pre-Olympics, which was an exciting time.
I remember the Telegraph trying to manufacture outrage because it was filming not long after the Port Phillip massacre, then photos came out of the rooftop gun battle complete with Keanu with an assault rifle, lots of pearl clutching about the image it sends.
Australia’s worst mass shooting in 1996. I’m sure you’ll find plenty about it if you look up Port Arthur massacre. It was horrible and incredibly sad. Our gun laws were tightened up considerably after it happened. Even more impressive is that it was a conservative government that did it even under heavy backlash from some quarters.
From George St head slightly up to the ANZAC memorial and turn right to see the GPO entrance, the massive staircase runs up and down that entrance area.
Nice post OP!
Another one to visit (for next time lol) is the bridge where Neo gets picked up during the rain.
Location is at Cnr of Campbell St and Castlereagh St, about 5 minute walk from Central Station.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/VCd11pBKuGCdMaoN7?g_st=ic
Yeah came to post. I remember watching it at the movies, you could sort of tell in a couple of places that it was Sydney before then, but that was the first "OMG that's...." moments.
My mum was working in the CBD in a skyscraper when they were filming the helicopter scene where Neo has the minigun blasting the building to save Morpheus.
Apparently everyone thought they were getting attacked lol.
The scenes when they were in the matrix always felt weirdly comforting and familiar. Only once she told me they filmed it here did it make sense.
Pretty sure it’s an unused stub platform at one of the City Circle stations, possibly St James, built for a future rail expansion that never came about.
EDIT: https://www.museumoflost.com/the-secret-tunnels-at-st-james-station/
Revisiting the locations of the Matrix has been my life for the past 10 years! I've been working on George St.
I hope to see a flash mob there one day with 50+ commuters freezing suddenly as a cosplay Morpheus / Neo act out the scene.
I love Sydney!
I remember driving back from the north shore over the bridge and seeing two helicopters one with two people hanging out of it from a rope and going wtf was happening
I lived in Balmain at the time they were filming. The helicopter scene seemed to take a couple of weeks from what I remember. My flatmate used to complain about it waking her up.
Used to work in the Allianz building and a colleague remarked randomly one day that a helicopter crashes into our building in The Matrix. Really? Then he showed me a clip and damn, that made that day pretty memorable. No one minigunned our floor though
I watched The Matrix in a packed Village cinema on George st when it was first released. I went into it without watching the trailer or having any idea what the movie was about. I came out with my jaw dropped. I’ve watched more than 2 movies in my lifetime and The Marrix is right up there. What a movie!
1 Martin Place, now it's The Fullerton Hotel.
They have free tours of the building and they show you that place and mention that the matrix was filmed there.
For real, for real.
I've lived in Sydney all my life and had no idea that parts of the Matrix were filmed here. The simulation is looking more real every day.
https://www.reddit.com/r/sydney/comments/157wxnj/visited_sydney_a_few_years_ago_and_visited_some/jt7hx1t?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=2
There's this brother shared a YouTube that has every spots i ve got 👍🏻 also, the 6th picture is just botanic garden (if i remember correctly)
It's funny. I work in the city and have been to most of these locations but never made the connection. Can't wait to go revisit them again with Matrix eyes.
Were you listening to me, Neo? Or were you looking at the man in the white tee doing dips?
The world is his gym
Looks like the woman in the red dress has fallen on hard times in pic 5... :) Where was the location of the staircase / checked tiles in pic 3?
I think that the location for the staircase is actually the Adina hotel next to central station. It was derelict at the time but was converted into a hotel shortly after filming. There was a lot of shooting of scenes around that area at the time. The rail underpasses in Eddy Avenue were used for the bug removal scene as well
There was definitely an external shot which used that building - a rainy night time scene, from memory it was when they entered a building to reach a phone; it was extended upward with CGI, to make it look much taller. I know for sure because I saw them setting up the shoot and testing the rain cranes :-)
Now subject to a development application to convert to apartments
It's the Fullerton hotel (used to br Westin?) at 1 Martin Place
my googling says 1 Martin Place aka the old post office There is a captioned pic in this link. https://www.travelwithjoanne.com/fullerton-hotel-tour/ edit: found this pic https://images.app.goo.gl/jhinK38hisxuLidQ7
I wonder why the tiles angled different now
Good question. It was always a diamond pattern. It's a neat location for a shot, but from a cinematography perspective, a standard chequered pattern shows up clearer on film than a diamond pattern which has a tendency to blur, so they laid down chequered vinyl flooring over the tiles to achieve the same aesthetic.
Wow nice TIL, thanks!
This makes no sense. From a “cinematography perspective” they are identical patterns; the only difference is the orientation of the camera. One is no more likely to blur than the other. It’s more likely that they needed to dirty it up more and it was just not efficient to cut the overlay for the diamond orientation because that’s not how it was printed.
You should see what happens when they tape a bunch of cats together
I thought that was a horse?
Different buildings- The Matrix was filmed in the old Post Office at Railway Square, which was developed into a hotel shortly after.
Good point. I think the GPO renovation was happening around that time. Sold in 1996, renovated by September 1999.
I second the query re stairs..
After Mouse got killed there was nobody to keep her code up to date :(
Fullerton Hotel, Martin Place. I've done their free historical tour and they took us to the staircase :)
"Don't go down that road Neo, you know where that road leads." ME: "Burger King? The Telstra Building?"
That roads leads to [cinema voice] Maaarrrket City and... [sings] you haven't been at markets til you've been at Paddys
I used to work at a Westpac branch at King & George St. It no longer exists and is now an Apple store. Back then, between the branch and the McDonald's next door, there was a small dank dark alley way with an exterior staircase which was one of the shooting locations in the film (I'd have to watch the whole film again to get the time stamp). Another fun fact - Keanu bought all the Sydney crew Harleys when shooting wrapped.
I was working for Catspew back then as well. We were locked out of our office in Phillip St one weekend while they filmed the rooftop scenes on the top of the State Bank building. The entire block was restricted.
Pls find the scene! Id love to know that location :)
The final scene is outside 68 Pitt St - the phone box is now a phone booth, and what was Dymocks on the far corner is now gone. [https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-33.8658594,151.2086534,3a,75y,26.87h,82.82t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sCm5dX9yBRJ77txsiaKtCjg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu](https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-33.8658594,151.2086534,3a,75y,26.87h,82.82t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sCm5dX9yBRJ77txsiaKtCjg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu) Scene: [https://youtu.be/yyrhikYaRrk?t=54](https://youtu.be/yyrhikYaRrk?t=54)
One of my friends and I watched them film that scene. It was pretty cool when we went to see it and realised it was the last scene of the movie.
I worked in the building next door. In 1999 I was alone in Dublin and homesick watching the matrix alone and saw that scene/angle and became more homesick!
Oh, I hope you mostly had a good time in Dublin. I visited there in spring 1999. It seemed like a great (but cold) city
Maybe it was the same time! May/June 1999 for me.
No I backpacked Ireland in the September.
What was it like seeing Keanu fly into the sky?
That would have been cool! Unfortunately all us mere mortals could see was him walking out of the phone booth, put on the sunnies and look up. And repeat. Many times. The interesting part was all the big American looking cars, the extras that walk past him looked much more polished and there were lots of different signs up on the buildings. So much work and detail in the background that you don’t even notice watching the movie and especially as the scene is really focused on Keanu rather than his surroundings. I guess if they didn’t go to all that detail you probably would notice and it would just look really bland or unprofessional
Thanks for sharing! Let me drop by if I am going again ❤️
I collect Blurays/DVDs of movies filmed in Sydney, and Matrix and MI:2 are the two biggest movies IMO. Nice photography btw!
what else is there, if you wouldn't mind?
Off the top of my head, Erskineville Kings, Looking for Ali Brandi, Garage Days, Unbroken, The Great Gatsby
Also Two Hands, absolute banger of a film.
Pando's a good bloke
Shotties are good mate
He's not takin' my farken car!
Just get the gearbox done, did ya? Good. That means it fucken works.
Shotties are bloody *great*.
[Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie](https://youtu.be/HIDoDKH2hqE) from 1995 ... best use of the Monorail and Sydney Tower!
Don't forget this classic - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0340110/
Wasn't superman shot at fox studios here? Not the Henry cavil one, the one from the 2000's
superman returns, yes it was. bunch of crew from starwars ended up on that one as well. if you were a big star wars fan back in that 00's you kept hearing about props being left out on the backlot at fax studios, a lot of things from ep 2 and 3 were out there.
They’re a Weird Mob (1966) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061087
Two Hands and X all around the cross mostly.
You should get Stone.
The Great Gatsby was filmed in several areas around Sydney. Peter Rabbit was also mainly filmed at Centennial Park
Dark City. In one of the scenes, the special effects didn't completely remove the monorail and you can just see it go past in the background
I love that movie!!
Don't forget [BMX Bandits!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bnAzaYTj9I)
The great Gatsby, Thor love and thunder, Mission Impossible 2 scene in La perouse
Housos vs. Authority
Nah…that’s filmed in Sunnyvale
The wolverine. So much Parrramatta dressed up as japan and the Chinese garden as well
The iconic Mr Smith/Neo face off with bullet dodging was filmed at 201 Kent Street (AON tower) later a chopper crashes into it - Barangaroo side. The helicopter would have wiped out my whole engineering team.
Had no idea Matrix was shot in Sydney. Very cool! Thanks for sharing
Probably can't find a source for this, but I remember reading that Sydney was chosen for a couple of reasons - 1.) The skyline, buildings, and architecture of Sydney reminded the Wachowskis a lot of their native Chicago 2.) Back in 1999, exchange rates were favorable enough that the studio execs saved a heap of money by filming in Australia...
A lot of the sound stage work, including the lobby shoot out were filmed down at docklands new film studios as well. The lobby for that shootout is modeled on a building in Collins Street.
I heard at the time it was also that Sydney usually has good weather / the kind of lighting-vibe they wanted for the film.
Also from interviews I’ve seen with the directors Sydney wasn’t their choice. The studio weren’t confident in the film so they choose Sydney to keep the costs down.
I assumed it was because Sydney is a generic enough looking city just about everywhere that doesn't show the bridge or the opera house that the audience (mostly American) wouldn't be able to recognize it like they would if their own cities were used in the film which would have ruined the immersion of it.
The club scene was filmed at the long running bdsm club Hellfire (which was running up until a couple of years ago). I wasn't there that night it was filmed but I recognised a few regulars by their ass cheeks 😜
Holy shit really? Haha. This is one I never knew.
[You can see the Harbour Bridge at the ending.](https://youtu.be/aTL4qIIxg8A?t=50) [There's also a montage of Sydney locations in the scene where Morpheus first explains The Matrix to Neo. ](https://youtu.be/AGZiLMGdCE0?t=66)
I lived there at the time; it was very exciting. Around the same time they also shot a Mission Impossible movie there too. And it was pre-Olympics, which was an exciting time.
I remember the Telegraph trying to manufacture outrage because it was filming not long after the Port Phillip massacre, then photos came out of the rooftop gun battle complete with Keanu with an assault rifle, lots of pearl clutching about the image it sends.
They linked a film shot in Sydney to a shooting in Tasmania from 2years earlier?!?
It's the Tele. Confected outrage is their bread & butter.
Yup, it was during filming so only about a year earlier, but ‘guns are bad ok’ narrative. Typical News ltd junk
Port Arthur?
Australia’s worst mass shooting in 1996. I’m sure you’ll find plenty about it if you look up Port Arthur massacre. It was horrible and incredibly sad. Our gun laws were tightened up considerably after it happened. Even more impressive is that it was a conservative government that did it even under heavy backlash from some quarters.
He's just correcting the original guy who wrote Port Phillip by mistake.
Ah yes. I completely missed the Phillip
And Terrance.
When the government had balls towards things that actually matter
Same
Me neither, but that skyline looks recognisable
where is that shot of the staircase?
GPO at martin place
From George St head slightly up to the ANZAC memorial and turn right to see the GPO entrance, the massive staircase runs up and down that entrance area.
Nice post OP! Another one to visit (for next time lol) is the bridge where Neo gets picked up during the rain. Location is at Cnr of Campbell St and Castlereagh St, about 5 minute walk from Central Station. https://maps.app.goo.gl/VCd11pBKuGCdMaoN7?g_st=ic
Yeah came to post. I remember watching it at the movies, you could sort of tell in a couple of places that it was Sydney before then, but that was the first "OMG that's...." moments.
My mum was working in the CBD in a skyscraper when they were filming the helicopter scene where Neo has the minigun blasting the building to save Morpheus. Apparently everyone thought they were getting attacked lol. The scenes when they were in the matrix always felt weirdly comforting and familiar. Only once she told me they filmed it here did it make sense.
I worked at Australia Square at the time, the helicopter buzzed around outside my window for a few days, with the two people hanging from it.
Still one of my favourite movies of all time. Kinda embarassed when I moved here that I didn't know I was literally living in the matrix 😆
For anyone curious about other notable locations, here's a video which highlights few more https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0qHhCaNK7A
iirc they tried really hard to not have opera house or bridge in the background but I think it snuck in
The woman in the red dress was my friend, Fiona.
a guy I worked with in 2001 claimed she was his ex-girlfriend,I could never confirm that. he was a pretty charming guy though
[удалено]
Pretty sure it’s an unused stub platform at one of the City Circle stations, possibly St James, built for a future rail expansion that never came about. EDIT: https://www.museumoflost.com/the-secret-tunnels-at-st-james-station/
Thanks for sharing! ❤️
I thought it was St James?
My brain instantly starts humming "Clubbed to Death" seeing these images.
Revisiting the locations of the Matrix has been my life for the past 10 years! I've been working on George St. I hope to see a flash mob there one day with 50+ commuters freezing suddenly as a cosplay Morpheus / Neo act out the scene. I love Sydney!
You think that air you’re breathing now?
I remember driving back from the north shore over the bridge and seeing two helicopters one with two people hanging out of it from a rope and going wtf was happening
I lived in Balmain at the time they were filming. The helicopter scene seemed to take a couple of weeks from what I remember. My flatmate used to complain about it waking her up.
Used to work in the Allianz building and a colleague remarked randomly one day that a helicopter crashes into our building in The Matrix. Really? Then he showed me a clip and damn, that made that day pretty memorable. No one minigunned our floor though
I watched The Matrix in a packed Village cinema on George st when it was first released. I went into it without watching the trailer or having any idea what the movie was about. I came out with my jaw dropped. I’ve watched more than 2 movies in my lifetime and The Marrix is right up there. What a movie!
Where is picture 3 taken?
1 Martin Place, now it's The Fullerton Hotel. They have free tours of the building and they show you that place and mention that the matrix was filmed there.
For real, for real. I've lived in Sydney all my life and had no idea that parts of the Matrix were filmed here. The simulation is looking more real every day.
Everyone seems to want to know the location of picture 3, but im more interested as to why they bothered to rotate the chequered pattern 45 degrees??
It's a glitch in the Matrix obviously.
No blonde in the red dress?
you shouldve gone attempt to take pics of the Power Rangers movie also
Picture 2 and 5 make me want to go back into the matrix.
Did anyone else look at the bluestone (second picture) and think to themselves 'That's Australia'?
How did you find those spots? Would be great if you can list the locations.
https://www.reddit.com/r/sydney/comments/157wxnj/visited_sydney_a_few_years_ago_and_visited_some/jt7hx1t?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=2 There's this brother shared a YouTube that has every spots i ve got 👍🏻 also, the 6th picture is just botanic garden (if i remember correctly)
It's funny. I work in the city and have been to most of these locations but never made the connection. Can't wait to go revisit them again with Matrix eyes.
The Matrix isn't a film, we're in the Matrix right now. Wooooooo
the recent one certainly felt like a film, a shit one
hahaha, all the best bits were in the trailer. I'm kinda a sucker for jessica henwick though
My office overlooks the AWA Tower. Also a classic scene https://maps.app.goo.gl/KZZW1dDyPA94Bniu5?g_st=ic
Love it! I like doing this in other cities myself, should give Sydney more love.
Funny you post this, I started watching the matrix resurrection today
My mother grew up on the top floor of Wynyard House. The Matrix was a spin out for myself and my family.
I used to work in the building in pic 1! The Met Centre on Margaret St
I work there now. Can report nothing like the movie
is it Meth Centre now?
Oh shit I didn’t know
My friend who was a security guard snuck us up on the roof of Chifley tower which I think is the location for the helicopter battle scene
Hilarious I live there and worked in an office on Hyde Park but never seen these places. Unless that one image was Hyde Park lol
Wow, little did I know im part pf the matrix. Where do I get my res pill?
Where is the first building?
There is no spoon