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What do you think about the comments that the second and third "Matrix" movies weren't as well received as the first?
They weren't? I disagree, I disagree. I think that they were embraced differently. Sometimes, you have a morning hug, an afternoon hug, or you get a goodnight hug. I think that these films? I mean, if you remember way back when in '99 when the first ?Matrix? came out, it took awhile.
It was not a critically acclaimed film. It was a kind of underground cult film that became popular. I think that ?Reloaded? and ?Revolutions? kind of continue on in that tradition. Critically, they were not embraced. When you tend to speak to people who have seen them a couple of times, and later on go, ?I saw ?Reloaded? again, it's really good,? or not, but my experience has been that if you spend some time with the films, and time goes by, you kind of feel differently. I mean, if you didn't get it or if you didn't feel like you enjoyed it, sometimes that experience can change.
Are you working on ?Constantine??
I am indeed.
Were you committed to that movie a long time ago?
No, I was working in Australia and working on ?The Matrix? films and just trying to develop work for afterwards. This script came and [they] worked on the script, and worked with Warner Brothers and some of the execs there, and writers, Akiva Goldsman came on as one of the producers and he's done some writing and it took about a year.
Right now, we're about six weeks in.
It?s based on a comic book?
Yes, it's coming from a comic book series, from a character from Alan Moore. I think that it was introduced in ?Swamp Thing.?
What's the take on the character?
His relationship to God. I guess that it's ultimately his relationship to the world. It's a guy who's got anger and ambivalence. There's a line in it, ?God has a plan for all of us, some people like it, some people don't.? That's kind of a Constantinian take on it. Some people like it and John Constantine doesn't like it, but he likes it.
Do you think that it's going to be a commercial film, because that's a dark comic series?
Well, I mean, we have a character. We're hoping to make a PG-13 film. I?m playing a character who's damned and he's trying to escape hell. He goes to Gabriel and he's like, ?Come on, I'm taking demons out of little girls. Who's that for?? Gabriel is saying, ?Well, you don't believe.? I go, ?I believe for Christ sake.? He goes, ?No, you know. You don't have faith.?
He's an ex-priest?
I don't know. It depends on what story you?re telling. In this one, he wasn't and after that, he goes and you see my character with scratches on his back and he's drinking some whiskey, and he's just made love to the demon. So, you know, we're trying for PG-13. My feet are on the floor of the bed, he's under the covers.
What do you think are some of the cons about getting involved with another franchise?
I don't know about cons; I don't know about that. I mean, the business side of it and the storytelling side of it, if we're fortunate enough and it all comes together and we make an interesting, enjoyable film, I'll be really happy.
I'm having a really positive experience right now. I'm working with some incredible artists. We have a remarkable DP. I'm working with Francis Lawrence who's very talented, has a fresh vision, [and is] a great storyteller. I'm doing a script with Akiva Goldsman, an Oscar award winner. He's one of the best writers in town. I'm working with Rachel Weisz, Tilda Swinton is acting in it. We've got some incredible set direction and we've got one of the best crews that I've ever worked with. We're telling a righteous story and something that I think is cool about adjusting one's place in the world. And if we're lucky enough to entertain folks and that they dig it and whoever says, ?Keanu, do you want to do that again?? We'll see. Whether that turns into a franchise, and lunch boxes, I doubt it, but hopefully, if we can make a good film, I don't know.
How touch is it to come to a decision to make a film as an actor at this point? Do you agonize over it?
Often you have a gut reaction. I have a gut reaction to the material that I'm dealing with. If there's something, like with this, ?Something's Gotta Give,? when I read this script, I was like, ?This is one of the best scripts that I've ever read, period.? In terms of working with Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton, there was the role of Dr. Mercer and I was like, ?Call someone,? and I got to meet on it. So, the script and the story and the character and your feeling, I guess.
Are you often in the position of looking for work, or are the scripts piled up for you?
You're always looking for good material. I mean, I love acting. Look at Jack Nicholson. He's sixty-six years old, I think, and he's making movies. He's doing his thing. Does Jack Nicholson have to go and make a movie? That's what we do. I guess that's our life.
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