The Matrix was a hugely influential film, which helped launch a million black-clad wuxia-fueled adventures. But maybe it had an even bigger impact? Josh Friedman, creator of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, suggests The Matrix ruined science fiction movies.
Tomorrow sees the release of Sense8, the super-ambitious epic from the Wachowskis — so it’s perfect timing that today, we’re questioning the impact of their most famous work. Today on Twitter, Friedman went on a fascinating rant, dealing with the difficulty of getting a huge enough audience to watch science fiction on television. And the massive budgets needed to make science fiction “work” on the small(er) screen. Here are the relevant portions:
Exec asked me in a meeting what current show I thought got SF/fantasy most right. Me: Not counting GoT, I assume? Her: Of course not.
— josh friedman (@Josh_Friedman) June 4, 2015
Not only is SF the hardest thing to get right, it may be the most difficult type of show to get an audience justifying the budget needed.
— josh friedman (@Josh_Friedman) June 4, 2015
The visual detail required, the world building both visually & in script…you have to show up to the table w/ a lot before you even start.
— josh friedman (@Josh_Friedman) June 4, 2015
@garywhitta yes because it's become the ACTION genre. The Matrix ruined SF just like Reservoir Dogs ruined indie film in the 90s.
— josh friedman (@Josh_Friedman) June 4, 2015
I pray that syfy's current embrace of harder SF and higher end titles results in shows with real budgets or else auds will lose faith.
— josh friedman (@Josh_Friedman) June 4, 2015
And it's not just show budgets–it's getting high end writers & talent to invest their time. To believe they'll get to make best version.
— josh friedman (@Josh_Friedman) June 4, 2015
People send me great books–space operas, classic SF novels–most of the time I think: they don't really have the appetite to make this.
— josh friedman (@Josh_Friedman) June 4, 2015
@MuseZack @garywhitta exception that proves the rule. Also, John Henry.
— josh friedman (@Josh_Friedman) June 4, 2015
@BadWolfLil @MuseZack @garywhitta I loved The Matrix. But it ruined SF. 12 Monkeys was fine. LaJetee is amazing.
— josh friedman (@Josh_Friedman) June 4, 2015
@BadWolfLil @MuseZack @garywhitta turned it into a cgi-heavy action genre.
— josh friedman (@Josh_Friedman) June 4, 2015
@io9 @BadWolfLil @MuseZack @garywhitta SW, T2 are character pieces in comparison. I watched T2 last week w/ son–it's a father/son story.
— josh friedman (@Josh_Friedman) June 4, 2015
There’s more, including a side-rant about the DC Comics shows like Arrow, which Friedman contends have conditioned audiences to expect a “slick/cheap look” and shallow, steady-state storytelling. But what do you think? Was The Matrix the tipping point that turned science fiction into the genre of fancy CG effects and action sequences?
(My take: Not sure. Advances in computer graphics and processing power were probably going to lead to the rise of huge VFX showcases anyway, and it probably did start with Jurassic Park. But maybe The Matrix helped push us over the edge.)
