10 Incredible Sets You Didn't Know Were Built From Scratch
7. The Freeway (The Matrix Reloaded)
The Matrix Reloaded was considered a disappointment by many but almost everyone would agree that it nevertheless boasted an absolutely jaw-dropping action sequence in the freeway chase. It was the best scene in the movie, and it could never have worked without the freeway as a setting. Of course, the freeway it was filmed on didnt actually exist. Despite having a location set up in Akron, the Wachowskis opted to make their own freeway, thinking that the real thing would simply take too long to clear before use. Using a decommissioned runway at the Alameda Point Navy Base in San Francisco, they constructed a 1.4 mile long stretch of highway to stage their massive car chase. The irony of the films is that despite existing in a virtual world, its this kind of dedication to putting the action into real sets instead of creating them digitally that made the series stand out. Even if Reloaded didnt match the ideological reach of The Matrix, it still maintained its predecessor's practical innovation, exemplified with the construction of this massive set.
Connor loves movies, comics, and TV, and is trying to write for people who feel the same way. When he's not sitting on the couch with his laptop, you might find him lying in his bed with his laptop.
