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Library/Film/The Matrix
Grade B19 sourcesHIS-01432

The Matrix

Film · 1999 · Viral

70Editable slideCertificate

The sci-fi film opened to $27.8 million domestically, then spread via DVDs and imitation.

Trailer · Warner Bros. Entertainment on YouTube
Official poster for The Matrix with Neo, Trinity and Morpheus
Warner Bros.
Keanu Reeves as Neo in the official trailer
Warner Bros. Entertainment on YouTube
The Matrix theatrical poster: the cast in black on a green-tinted background
Wikipedia (non-free, fair use)
A Matrix crew member holds an Oscar at the 72nd Academy Awards, 2000
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
A red pill and a blue pill, the choice that became shorthand online
W.carter / CC BY-SA 4.0

Spread Score

How it works
Reach89Contagion45Breadth70VelocityNo data yetLongevity6670

Numbers

Worldwide theatrical gross, including rereleases; live ledger
$472.4M
As of Oct 23, 2026 · The Numbers
Seed to milestone
3 weeks
Mar 31 ’99 to Apr 19 ’99
Platforms
6
Started on Box office
Leverage
7.3×
$472.4M on $60M–$65M budget

Mechanics

  • Mystery & lore
  • CatchphrasePrimary
  • Identity badge
  • Platform jump
  • Controversy

How it spread

Trace the origin

The Matrix opened in cinemas after a paid campaign. DVD sales and online discussion extended its audience. Other filmmakers copied its effects; red-pill language later spread into political identity and drew a rebuke from Lilly Wachowski.

Documented milestone; not a measured attention peak.

Mar ’98Mar ’99JunOctApr ’00Sep ’01Dec ’04Mar ’08Oct ’11Aug ’15Jun ’19Dec ’20TVPressBox officeRetailOpen webX
TVPressBox officeRetailOpen webX

13 more events on this chart

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Timeline (16)

  1. 1999

    Warner Bros. precursor · 1999

    Warner promoted the film with a Super Bowl spot and trailers built around its unexplained premise.[1]

    Open the first post ↗

  2. March 1999

    Variety precursor · Mar 29 ’99

    Variety reviewed the film before its wide release and praised its effects while criticising the screenplay.[2]

  3. Warner Bros. / Village Roadshow seed · Mar 31 ’99

    Warner Bros. released The Matrix in US cinemas.[3][4][5]

  1. press · Apr 5 ’99

  2. milestone · Apr 19 ’99

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Why it worked

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Origin
Mixed
Sector
Entertainment
Region
US
Worldwide theatrical gross, including rereleases; live ledger
$472.4M
As of Oct 23, 2026 · The Numbers
Evidence
Grade B

Spread the same way

Film · Box office · 202373

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

Illumination / Nintendo; Universal Pictures (distributor)

Nintendo and Illumination's animated Mario film grossed $1.36 billion worldwide.

$1.37B on a $100M budget

1 / 8

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  • Wicked (2024 film)

New cases, every week

How the next thing spread, the week it does.