Big wrap parties are a no go these days due to COVID-19, but that hasn’t stopped The Matrix 4 from sneakily going ahead with one.
Word on the street is that production on The Matrix 4 is wrapping up production in Germany and the producers decided to celebrate by throwing a massive wrap party, which is a big no no due to the country’s strict COVID-19 laws.
According to The Guardian, over 200 people rocked up to this party that was disguised as a film shoot in order to circumvent Germany’s coronavirus restrictions, which states that parties of only up to 50 people are allowed and any events exceeding this number required to be registered ahead of time with authorities.
Guests reportedly rocked up as “extras” for a big party scene but apparently a guest who was in attendance told German tabloid Bild (via The Guardian) that there “no directorial instructions were given, there was no clapperboard, and no one was filming.”
“The mood was exuberant. Everyone was given a corona PCR test in advance. Everyone needed to come wearing a mask, but many people didn’t wear them as the party wore on.”
It also sounded like a hell of a shindig too. It is reported that the party, hosted by producers Lana and Lilly Wachowski, was codenamed “Icecream Teamevent and guests were entertained by dancers, a DJ, and a pyrotechnic show, and were invited to get souvenir Matrix tattoos.
Keanu Reeves was reportedly present at this party/scene/whatever and was sat at a table with his girlfriend Alexandra Grant before leaving early.
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In response to these reports, the producers of the Matrix franchise said that the film team was shooting a “celebration scene, which was filmed in the summer, and this was in connection with that. The hygiene regulations were complied with” as per Bianca Markarewicz, the spokesperson for Studio Babelsberg, which is where The Matrix 4 was filmed.
She added: “The production team consciously put this shoot with its many participants, right at the end of the filming.”
It’s all a bit of “he said she said” at the moment with this but German health authorities are reportedly planning to speak to the studio about whether this wrap party was Trojan horsed in as a film shoot.
I just have one thing to say about this whole “Matrix 4 wrap party disguised as film shoot to avoid COVID-19 laws” thing: The scene/wrap party better have been a recreation of that infamous rave scene from The Matrix Reloaded or it would’ve been a wasted opportunity.
Anyway, The Matrix 4 is penciled in for a December 2021 release date so we’ll find out at some point whether this party scene made it into the film or was mysteriously “deleted.”
