The Matrix/Tank controversy (1 Viewer)

[Alex Spindler]

Joey Pants : "Marcus, you are loco. They've got the Wachowski's trying to drive down spiraling costs. Even if you somehow got a meeting, they have Agents representing them - three of them. I want more money too, but what you are talking about is suicide."

 

[Paul Case]

I had heard that Jet Li turned down the role in the Matrix movies because he was already committed to doing Hero. Since the schedules conflicted, he had to decline the Matrix offer. Anybody else hear that as well?

 

[Seth Paxton]

I figured Li turned it down because he was already THE ONE.

How many Ones can a film have after all? At some point doesn't it become The Twos?

 

[Bruce_S]

The lawsuit is ridiculous. From my understanding - it was HIS fault for demanding more money after the first one and wasn't under contract for the sequels. His lost and shouldn't blame WB or W.brothers for his stupidity. IMO

-bruce

 

[Jim Peavy]

Yep, agree. Think the deal-breaker was his nutty letter and insistence on being basically equal with the 3 leads.

I did like him in the first and was sorry he didn't return. Evidently, all involved felt it was better to write him out than deal with him.

 

[Josh Lowe]

Any word on how much they paid Harold Parrineau to play Link? He's a much more established actor than Marcus Chong so I would imagine he got close to if not more than the dollar amount that Chong was asking for.. unless Parrineau agreed to less money just for the chance to get significant screen time (I'd say he had more screen time than anyone else in the movie except for Keanu) and exposure in what would undoubtedly be a pair of very successful movies..

 

[Romier S]

This ones for you folks:



(By yours truly)

 

[DaveGR]

Im guessing when he wrote that he was reading Thor Comics watching Monty Python,and smoking a drug we dont even know about yet.
Funny thing is he probely is so cracked that he really thought he was engaged in a battle for the life of all mankind in The Matrix, all the cast probley wondered why he seemed to stay in character the whole time.
(possibly overheard at a lunch of the cast of The Matrix)

Chong-"Guys this tuna melt is so good,too bad its just a computer code, HEY is that a agent?"

Reeves-"Whoa Chong your worse than Day Lewis about staying in character"

Chong-"OH MAN the agent is coming over,We GOTTA FIND A PHONE!"

Moss-"thats not an agent thats the waiter Chong! God Im getting sick of this. Hey Keanu wheres a good psychiatric hospital?"

Reeves-"Whoa Moss why are you asking me?"

Moss- "Err uhh nevermind Keanu,,GOD CHONG What are you staring at?"

Chong-"OH MY GOD I just just virtally farted!"

Moss (staring at Reeves)

Reeves- (staring at Moss)

Anyways why isnt this guy doing Norweigen films?

 

[DaveGR]

They could have almost just got Tracy Morgan from SNL ,they look like they could be brothers ,well maybe not,but I dont know,,a lil.

 

[JonSor]

I don't get how he could have read the scripts for Romeo Must Die and Cradle to the Grave and agree to do those, but turned down what was probably one great script for The Matrix.

I don't think there was a script running around Hollywood. People either came on board because of the strength of the first movie and the W Bros. reputation or not. But I agree Jet needs to stop pairing himself DMX...hopefully Hero will show the American audiences what he's capable of. I've really had to force myself to not just rent the copies at my local mom&pop video store.

 

[Rollie]

@ Romier's post.

Tank IS the Matrix.

 

[Chad R]

Larry might just take you up on that offer because all of his assets have been frozen in a bitter divorce settlement (at least I think it was Larry, I get them confused like the Farrelly and Coen Brothers).

 

[Brendan Brown]

It was indeed Larry, the papers themselves are an interesting read at The Smoking Gun (especially the part referencing Bill Pope and the rest of 'The Posse')

 

[Chris Lynch]

If I had to guess, and supposing Mr. Chong is NOT insane, I would say that:

• It isn't the money, but the publicity demands that cut him out of this deal
• It looks like he put the comma in the wrong place on his bonus figures, instead of dropping the last zero by accident. The fact that he makes the same mistake twice leads me to believe this.
• He might have known that he wouldn't get the demands met, but thought it was worth a try
• He played this bluff too far, and when it was called, it was too late for him

Let's keep in mind that he is just trying to further his career, he probably saw this as his shot to substantially increase his profile. His poor judgement was in not recognizing his bargaining power, and not knowing when to relent on the demands, something any good agent could have done for him.

That being said, he does sound a little "interesting" judging from the wording of his letter. I keep reminding myself, however, that this letter is a private letter, not intended for public consumption, and I want to believe if this letter was "open" then he would have worded it differently and had it looked over by someone. Maybe the tone of the letter is exactly the same tone he and the Wach Bros took with each other when speaking person to person. We can't know what kind of relationship they had. Maybe, when speaking to each other, they made strange references to Norse mythology all the time. The Wach brothers do seem to lean on a lot of theological theories for these movies, maybe they talk like that all the time in private, and this was simply Marcus Chong's attempt to speak on their plane.

But he's f***ing crazy if he thinks he's gonna get treated like "Keeanu".

 

[can_never_say]

Accurate.

 

[can_never_say]

He's demanding.

 

[can_never_say]

Startling.

 

[can_never_say]

...well, mental illness is a mystery, isn't it?

 

[can_never_say]

You slay me with that!

 

[can_never_say]

But he wasn't vital, and his asking for that kind of money showed a real disconnect with reality.

Deep!