The Wachowskis facts for kids

The Wachowskis are famous American filmmakers, known for writing, directing, and producing many movies and TV shows. The sisters, Lana Wachowski (born June 21, 1965) and Lilly Wachowski (born December 29, 1967), are both trans women.

They are often called "the Wachowskis" and have worked together for most of their careers. They first directed a film called Bound in 1996. They became very famous with their second movie, The Matrix (1999), which was a huge success. They also wrote and directed its two sequels, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions (both in 2003). They also helped write and produce other parts of the Matrix story.

After the Matrix movies, the Wachowskis wrote and produced V for Vendetta (2005). In 2008, they released Speed Racer, which was based on a Japanese cartoon. Their film Cloud Atlas came out in 2012. They also made the TV show Sense8 for Netflix, which started in 2015. Since 2018, Lana and Lilly have been working on different projects on their own.

Early Lives

Lana was born in Chicago in 1965, and Lilly was born in 1967. Their mother was a nurse and painter, and their father was a businessman. Their uncle, Laurence Luckinbill, is an actor and producer.

The sisters went to Kellogg Elementary School and then Whitney Young High School in Chicago. Classmates remember them playing Dungeons & Dragons and working in the school's TV program.

Both Lana and Lilly went to college but left before finishing. They then started a business together, painting houses and doing construction in Chicago.

Before making movies, they wrote comic books. Lana wrote for Marvel Comics, including series like Ectokid and Clive Barker's Hellraiser.

Film and Television Careers

The Wachowskis started writing for films in the mid-1990s. They wrote the script for Assassins in 1994. They were not happy with how their script was changed, which made them want to direct their own films.

Their first movie as directors was the thriller Bound in 1996. This film was praised for its style and was one of the first mainstream movies to show a same-sex relationship without it being the main focus of the story.

The Matrix Franchise

After the success of Bound, the Wachowskis directed The Matrix in 1999. This science fiction action film stars Keanu Reeves as Neo, a hacker who joins a rebellion against machines that control the world. The machines keep humans in a simulated reality called "the Matrix." The movie was a huge hit and won four Academy Awards, including one for its amazing visual effects like "bullet time". The Matrix became a major influence on action movies. In 2012, it was chosen to be kept in the National Film Registry because it was seen as "culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant."

The Wachowskis at the 2004 San Diego ComicCon

Because of the first film's success, the Wachowskis directed two sequels: The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, both released in 2003. The Matrix Reloaded was also a big box office success. The Matrix Revolutions received mixed reviews.

The Wachowskis also helped create comics based on The Matrix world. These comics were published online for free. After Lilly Wachowski shared that she is transgender, she suggested that people look at her and Lana's movies, especially The Matrix, through the idea of being transgender. She said that themes of identity and change are clear in the films.

Later Collaborations

The Wachowskis' next film was V for Vendetta (2005). They wrote and produced this movie, which was based on a graphic novel and starred Natalie Portman and Hugo Weaving. The film was well-received and did well at the box office. It also made the Guy Fawkes mask a popular symbol for groups like Anonymous.

In 2008, the Wachowskis directed Speed Racer. This movie was based on a Japanese cartoon series from the 1960s. The Wachowskis wanted to make a family-friendly film. The movie used many visual effects to look like an anime. However, it was not a big success with critics or at the box office.

Lilly (left) and Lana Wachowski at Fantastic Fest in 2012

Their next movie was Cloud Atlas (2012), based on a novel by David Mitchell. They co-wrote and co-directed it with German filmmaker Tom Tykwer. The film was difficult to get funding for and was made independently. It received mixed reviews but was praised for its technical achievements. The Wachowskis have said that Cloud Atlas was the hardest film they made but also the one they are most proud of.

Lana at 2012 Toronto International Film Festival

In 2015, they produced and directed Jupiter Ascending, a science fiction film. This movie did not do well financially or with critics. After this, their working relationship with Warner Bros. ended.

Their next big project was the Netflix science fiction show Sense8. They created and wrote it with J. Michael Straczynski. The show had a diverse cast and was filmed in many cities around the world. It was praised for showing diverse and LGBT characters. The first season was released in 2015. Lilly took a break from the show after the first season. Sense8 ended with a special finale in 2018.

Solo Projects

Since Sense8, Lana and Lilly have been working on different projects. Lilly has directed and written for the TV series Work in Progress (2019). Lana wrote and directed The Matrix Resurrections, the fourth Matrix film, which came out in 2021. This was Lana's first major film project without Lilly.

In 2024, Lilly was announced to direct a film called Trash Mountain. Also in 2024, Lana will be an executive producer for a new Matrix movie being developed by Warner Bros.

Style and Influences

The Wachowskis love telling stories that have many parts. They grew up reading comic books and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. They enjoy making movies that surprise audiences.

They have said their films explore themes like the mystery of the universe, how everything is connected, and the idea of choice. They also focus on themes of identity, breaking stereotypes, race, and gender.

The Wachowskis were influenced by the art of comic book artist Geof Darrow. They also found inspiration in Japanese anime films like Ghost in the Shell, Ninja Scroll, and Akira. They tried to bring the way anime mixes time and space in action scenes to their films.

They believe their finished movies are complete and do not release deleted scenes or director's cuts. They also avoid recording audio commentaries because they want viewers to form their own interpretations of the films.

Frequent Collaborators

The Wachowskis often work with the same people on their film crews. Lana says this helps create a positive and respectful environment, like a family.

Some of their frequent collaborators include:

• Kym Barrett (Costume designer)
• John Gaeta (Visual effects supervisor)
• James McTeigue (Assistant director, also directed films they produced)
• Bill Pope (Director of photography for The Matrix trilogy)
• Tom Tykwer (Co-director and composer for Cloud Atlas)
• Hugo Weaving (Actor in The Matrix and Cloud Atlas)
• Bae Doona (Actress in Cloud Atlas and Sense8)

Production Companies

During the production of The Matrix sequels, the Wachowskis created EON Entertainment. This company helped coordinate all the different partners involved in making the films.

Later, they formed Anarchos Productions, which produced their films from V for Vendetta to the first season of Sense8. For the second season of Sense8, Lana Wachowski and her wife Karin Winslow created a new company called Venus Castina Productions.

They also had a studio in Chicago called Kinowerks. This studio was known for its environmentally friendly design. In 2018, the Wachowskis announced plans to close Kinowerks.

In 2003, they started their own comic book company, Burlyman Entertainment. They released comics based on The Matrix and other original series like Shaolin Cowboy and Doc Frankenstein.

Personal Lives

Lilly Wachowski married Alisa Blasingame in 1991. In 2019, Lilly shared that her partner is Mickey Ray Mahoney, a trans man.

Lana Wachowski married Thea Bloom in 1993. She later married Karin Winslow in 2009.

The Wachowskis were raised by a father who was an atheist and a mother who was a former Catholic who became a Shamanist. Lana is a vegetarian.

Lana's Transition

Rumors about Lana Wachowski being transgender started in the early 2000s. However, neither sister talked about it publicly at the time. In 2012, Lana publicly shared her transition in a video about Cloud Atlas. She was the first major Hollywood director to come out as transgender.

In 2012, Lana received the Human Rights Campaign's Visibility Award. In her speech, she explained that she and Lilly had kept her transition private not because she was ashamed, but because they are shy and prefer to keep their personal lives out of the news.

Lilly's Transition

In March 2016, Lilly Wachowski also came out as a transgender woman. She released a statement after a reporter tried to get an interview with her about it. She said she was one of the lucky ones to have the support of her family and access to doctors and therapists.

Her first public appearance after her transition was at the 27th GLAAD Media Awards. She accepted an award for Sense8 and said she wanted to be there to do something positive.

Gaming

The Wachowskis enjoy playing games. As teenagers, they played Dungeons & Dragons. They even created their own 350-page role-playing game called High Adventure.

They are also fans of video games. They met with Hideo Kojima, the creator of Metal Gear Solid, which was one of the first games they played after finishing The Matrix. They worked with Shiny Entertainment to develop the Enter the Matrix and The Matrix: Path of Neo video games. They owned PlayStation 2 and Xbox consoles and played games like Splinter Cell and Halo 2.

Box Office Success

Here is a look at how some of their films performed at the box office:

Works

Films

Television

Video Games

Comic Books

Music Videos

The Wachowskis also wrote an introduction for a comic book collection called Vol. 2: Tag of Ex Machina. Lana Wachowski also wrote the introduction for the 2012 collection No Straight Lines: Four Decades of Queer Comics.

They are big fans of the Chicago Bulls basketball team. They even created a new introduction animation for the Bulls for the 2006–2007 season.

Images for kids

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