February 05, 2003 - Fans of The Matrix are stretching Internet bandwidth to its limits today, as the first online episode of the Animatrix debuted today! In case you're just joining us, the Animatrix is a series of anime-style short films set in the world of The Matrix. Filmmakers Andy and Larry Wachowski have created the shorts to give fans a little bit of backstory, and presumably, to whet their appetites for the forthcoming sequels.
The first installment, The Second Renaissance: Part 1, is now available for download at
www.theanimatrix.com. The nine-minute short is a journey into the Zion archives and tells of the genesis of the Matrix and how the war between mankind and machine began.
The Second Renaissance was designed and directed by Mahiro Maeda, best known for his work on Blue Sub 6. Maeda has also worked as an animator and character designer on anime projects such as Laputa: Castle in the Sky, The Wings of Honeamise, and Neon Genesis Evangellion.
The Second Renaissance: Part 2 hits this May. Between now and then, website watchers will be treated to Detective Story by Shinichiro Watanabe (Cowboy Bebop) and Program from Yoskiaki Kawajiri (Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust).
Square USA and director Andy Jones, the people behind the awesome photo-realistic visuals in Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, have also created an Animatrix episode: The Final Flight of the Osiris. Osiris will debut theatrically, attached to Warner Bros.' Dreamcatcher on March 21.
Visit
here for a description of the episode and a clip from the short.
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Info from
http://www.ign.com
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The Animatrix
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