Crossing over into Hollywood is no easy feat. Ever since she bagged the lead in the thriller “Quantico”, Priyanka Chopra Jonas has been making major strides in the industry.
And bagging a role in “The Matix Resurrections” is yet another feather in the Bollywood actress’s cap.
In an interview ahead of the movie’s release, she said: “Just to be a part of the legacy of The Matrix franchise is such an honour and so exciting. I remember when I got a call that Lana wanted to meet me, I was in India at that time, and I was on the next flight to San Francisco.
“And that’s just how much I was excited about being a part of this, especially because this movie brings Neo and Trinity back, and it furthers the first Matrix movie. It makes it so much more exciting.”
In this sequel to The Matrix Revolutions from 2003, director Lana Wachowski also shares the writer and producer credits.
Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss reprise their iconic roles as Thomas Anderson/ Neo and Tiffany/Trinity, respectively.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is cast as the worldly Morpheus, who, as before, helps steer Neo on his journey to save humanity.
Other cast members include Jessica Henwick, Jonathan Groff, Neil Patrick Harris and Jada Pinkett Smith.
The actress revealed: “I worked with almost everyone in the cast except Jonathan and Neil. It was wonderful.
“The first time I saw the entire cast standing together, I had a little bit of a fangirl moment.
“And then, of course, you know, Jada, Yahya, Jessica, Eréndira (Ibarra), so many of the cast that I had such a great time getting to know and work with.
“I think I’ve made friends for life, and that’s really wonderful. Also, I had worked with Brian Smith in ’Quantico’, and it was wonderful to work with him again.”
She also sang Wachowski’s praises.
Priyanka said: “She’s a leader, and she’s very specific about the characters that we play. She understands this world like nobody else.
“She’s probably the only person in the world or one of the only few people in the world that knows what the Matrix is.
“So, it was important for me to follow her leadership.
“I think just being on-set and seeing the level of detail — and not just production design, but how intentional every single element of this production was — was very cool to see.
“And I was most excited about actually seeing some of the sets that were recreated from the first movie.”
Interestingly, when she watched the first movie as a teenager, she was awestruck by the special effects and found herself curious about this aspect of filmmaking.
Priyanka added: “And especially when I joined movies myself, it was just very cool to remember ’The Matrix’ as being one of the first projects that brought those things to my attention in such a stylistic way.”
Shedding light on her character, she shared: “She’s a woman with purpose, and she has been waiting to recognise this purpose her whole life. And when her path crosses with Neo’s, it’s not the first time.
“I think there’s something really powerful about a woman who is intentional, and she’s that. There’s a quiet confidence that she exudes because she knows that she was going to be in this moment for her whole life.”
“The Matrix Resurrections” is currently showing at cinemas, nationwide.