How The Matrix 4 Affected Venom: Let There Be Carnage Filming

Neo and Carnage side by side
(Image credit: Warner Bros./ Sony)

Movies are currently back in full swing, with studios releasing major blockbusters like Venom: Let There Be Carnage. Tom Hardy’s sequel has been performing well at the box office, and fans can’t wait to see where the franchise is going next. Although it turns out that The Matrix Resurrections affected the filming of Venom 2

While moviegoers get to see the finished product for movies like Venom: Let There Be Carnage, it’s ultimately constructed by regular people. Sometimes the reality of filming is much less glamorous than it appears, like when The Matrix 4’s production got in the way of the Tom Hardy sequel. Location Manager Christopher Kusiak recently revealed how Keanu Reeves’ return to Neo created challenges for Let There Be Carnage, saying:

Lots of stuff impacted filming. A lot of our driving shots went away because Matrix controlled all of downtown… We ended up moving a stunt up onto the top of the parking garage because we couldn’t get to the areas we wanted because of The Matrix. But if we would’ve been there first, it probably would’ve gone the other way.

Isn't it fun to see how the sausage gets made? Despite Venom 2’s massive budget and notable cast/crew, scheduling issues can still crop up. Because when Lana Wachowski was filming The Matrix Resurrections in San Francisco at the same time, certain locations within the city were simply off limits. Luckily that didn’t stop Andy Serkis and crew from completing said project.

Christopher Kusiak revealed the inner workings of making Venom: Let There Be Carnage a reality during an interview with ScreenRant. At the time of filming The Matrix 4, Lana Wachowski was making a ton of headlines for the stunt work and massive explosions she was utilizing in San Francisco. While fans can’t wait to see that legendary sci-fi franchise return to theaters in December, it clearly created a headache for those involved in Venom 2.

Later in that same interview, Christopher Kusiak went on to reveal that Venom: Let There Be Carnage has an unexpected crossover moment with The Matrix Resurrections. Namely because they were able to shoot footage of helicopters that were being used on The Matrix’s production, and utilize that in the theatrical cut of Let There Be Carnage. As he put it,

The helicopters were actually on the Matrix movie. The Matrix was filming at the same time so we were catching part of their activity on camera.

Well, my mind is blown. While the folks working on Venom 2 clearly had more work as a result of The Matric Resurrections also filming, there were some happy accidents that occured. This just shows how filmmakers and crew members are known to roll with punches. Because in the end Venom’s sequel got some surprising helicopter footage courtesy of Lana Wachowski’s blockbuster.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage is in theaters now and The Matrix Resurrections will follow suit on December 22nd. In the meantime, check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.