“The Matrix Reloaded” Blasts Through Competition To Dominate International Boxoffice With All-Time Record-Breaking Gross Of $113.2 Million

(May 26, 2003 – Burbank, CA) - Warner Bros. Pictures International exploded through box-office records around the world when the international rollout of “The Matrix Reloaded” resulted in a $113.2 million weekend for that division of the Studio, making the movie the first ever in the industry to break the $100 million mark internationally in one weekend. The announcement was made today by Veronika Kwan-Rubinek, President of Distribution, and Sue Kroll, President of Marketing for Warner Bros. Pictures International. Total overseas receipts for “The Matrix Reloaded” have now reached $154 million. Forty-nine countries opened this weekend and 13 other countries were in their second weekend of release, for a total of 62 countries currently showing the picture on 8,924 prints. Japan, expected to be the biggest international market for “The Matrix Reloaded,” does not open until June 7. This weekend, the UK grossed Pounds 12.1m ($ 19.8m) from 919 prints, marking the territory’s fourth-biggest opening of all time, behind “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,” “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” and “Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.” This represents a particularly outstanding result considering the 15 rating, which prohibits anyone under the age of 15 from entering the theater, with or without adult accompaniment. “The Matrix Reloaded” is the UK’s biggest “15” rated movie of all time. In Germany, where the film received a “16” rating, the gross of Euros 12.1m ($ 14.1m) from 1,124 prints also marks a record-breaking result as the industry’s sixth-highest in that territory, and the only film among all top 10 openers to have a rating restriction as high as 16. Spain, with Euros 6.0m ($7.0m) from 528 prints, is the second-highest opening of all time there, trailing only “Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers,” which had a five-day opening weekend. Italy grossed Euros 5.8m ($6.7m) from 723 prints for its biggest opening day of all time, its biggest May opening and sixth-highest opening weekend ever. Scandinavia tallied a $6.4 m opening, which gave Sweden and Norway their third-biggest opening weekends, and Denmark and Finland their fifth-biggest opening weekends. Korea grossed Won 7.5b ($ 5.9m) from 230 prints, which is that country's biggest opening weekend ever. Records were also set for Korea’s biggest sneak grosses, as well as individual Friday, Saturday and Sunday grosses. Mexico marked its all-time second-highest opening weekend with Ps 50.8m ($4.9m) from 530 prints. Russia tallied a Rbls 102.5m ($3.3m) opening weekend from 157 prints, which represents the country’s biggest opening weekend in history. Brazil grossed L/C 7.9m ($2.8m) from 390 prints, which represents the fourth-highest opening weekend in U.S. dollars. However, currency fluctuations in that country make accurate industry records difficult to ascertain. Additional records for the biggest opening weekend ever were set in Israel, South Africa, Portugal, the German side of Switzerland, Argentine, Chile, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Bulgaria, Latvia, Romania, Slovakia and the Ukraine. Second-weekend markets continued to hold well. France, which opened last weekend, dropped 24% with weekend grosses of Euros 7.6m ($ 8.8m), and Australia grossed A$6m ($3.9m) for its biggest second weekend Saturday ever. Belgium dropped 27%, Holland dropped 23% and New Zealand dropped 34%. “We are extremely pleased to see that the responses have been so positive that not even the film’s restrictive rating in various markets has kept it from breaking records. A 15 or 16 rating in the UK and Germany, respectively, means that children under this age cannot attend the movie even if accompanied by an adult,” said Veronika Kwan-Rubinek. “To be in release in 61 markets within two weeks of the United States is an enormous challenge in terms of logistics, but we are thrilled that we were able to successfully manage it, thereby capitalizing on the exceptional international anticipation for this film.” “We could not be more pleased with the reception that ‘The Matrix Reloaded’ is getting around the world,” enthused Sue Kroll. “As we’ve traveled through Europe and Japan on our launch campaign, we’ve experienced a tremendous reception for the movie, from Cannes through London and now Tokyo. There is a great sense of event about the arrival of this long-anticipated picture that has translated to both critical and popular reception in country after country.” Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures and NPV Entertainment, a Silver Pictures production, “The Matrix Reloaded,” starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne and Carrie-Anne Moss. The film also stars Hugo Weaving, Jada Pinkett Smith and Gloria Foster. “The Matrix Reloaded” is written and directed by The Wachowski Brothers and produced by Joel Silver. The executive producers are Andy Wachowski, Larry Wachowski, Grant Hill, Andrew Mason and Bruce Berman. The director of photography is Bill Pope, A.S.C.; the production designer is Owen Paterson; the editor is Zach Staenberg, A.C.E.; the music is composed by Don Davis; the visual effects supervisor is John Gaeta; and the costume designer is Kym Barrett. “The Matrix Reloaded” is released worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and in select territories by Village Roadshow Pictures. # # #