Danny Boyle dismisses conspiracy theorist ‘rabbit holes’ in adaption of The Matrix
Danny Boyle said he dismissed the “rabbit holes” conspiracy theorists like Andrew Tate have fallen down when adapting the 1999 film The Matrix for the stage.
The 67-year-old director said his latest project, titled Free Your Mind, focused on the “adventurous” issues the film raised – including climate change and artificial intelligence.
“It was as courageous as a mainstream Hollywood film could ever be on many different points – the gender issue, the digital issues, the AI issue – and that word really didn’t have the currency it has now,” he said.
Joe Pantoliano, Laurence Fishburne, Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss in 1999 film The Matrix
“It had a multicultural cast, which was almost unheard of in mainstream Hollywood films, and [the film addressed] climate change.
“All these issues are in this film with a huge and sometimes baffling philosophical network behind it that you’re challenged to find out [about].”
“It’s that that inspired us to see how we could reflect on that, given how everything has moved on since then. And we remain in its searchlight,” he added.
“We concentrated on that rather than actually some of the distortions that [the film] has been used for, some of those rabbit holes that people have gone down.”
The film’s terminology has been adopted by controversial figures such as Elon Musk and Tate with the term “the matrix” often used to describe a malicious layer of society including media, politicians and corporations who allegedly want to silence people.
But choreographer Kenrick Sandy said these types of influencers can engage in “misinformation”.
The show’s creative team (left to right) Kenrick ‘H2O’ Sandy, Es Devlin, Michael ‘Mikey J’ Asante and Danny Boyle inside Aviva Studios
“In coming into the show, it was more about the light and the awareness as opposed to the conspiracy because sometimes you go down that hole, you’re not coming back,” Sandy said.
“For me, it wasn’t that. It was not about the conspiracy, it’s about an awareness, it’s about enlightenment. We don’t want to feel like we are trying to [say], ‘you must think like this’ – that’s not the way, especially in the world today.
A scene from the show. Pic: Tristram Kenton/Factory International
“There’s too many people trying to say ‘this is the way it is’. Sometimes it’s misinformation, it’s an opinion, it’s not a fact.”
Boyle created the live dance adaption with Sandy, composer Michael Asante, set designer Es Devlin and writer Sabrina Mahfouz. It opened in Manchester‘s Aviva Studios last week – marking the official launch of the £240m project.
An artist’s impression of Aviva Studios, the new cultural venue which opened this month
The director was born and raised in nearby Radcliffe, around seven miles north of Manchester, and said he hopes the new venue will “nurture younger, challenging artists who will come forth and use the profile of the building to present their ideas”.
Choreographer Sandy first worked with Boyle in the 2012 Olympics, when Boyle directed the opening ceremony.
But this is the first project both have worked on from the beginning, with Boyle saying that working within the art form of dance was “extraordinary”.
“You don’t expect this late in life to get a complete education in language values – dance obviously brings a completely different perspective to something.
“There’s so much about The Matrix, not just the manifestations of it in film, there’s The Animatrix and the conspiracy theories and all that kind of stuff, so to bring the language of dance to it feels like a wonderfully refreshing way of renewing our interest in some of its brilliant, dazzling ideas,” Boyle said.
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The film, directed by the Wachowski sisters, sees hacker Thomas Anderson, played by Keanu Reeves, being told that AI has conquered humanity and our lives are part of a computer simulation.
He switches identities to become hero Neo – something co-director Lilly Wachowski said was a metaphor for the experience of the transgender community.
Boyle is best known for directing films including Trainspotting, Slumdog Millionaire and 28 Days Later.
Top Boy actor Micheal Ward has been charged with two counts of rape and is due to appear in court next month.
Ward, 27, has also been charged with two counts of assault by penetration and one count of sexual assault.
The offences relate to one woman and are reported to have taken place in January 2023.
“Our specialist officers continue to support the woman who has come forward – we know investigations of this nature can have a significant impact on those who make reports,” said Detective Superintendent Scott Ware, whose team is leading the Met Police’s investigation.
Ward at the 78th Cannes Film Festival on 15 July during a press call for his upcoming film Eddington. Pic: PA
Ward, of Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, is due to appear at Thames Magistrates’ Court on 28 August, the Crown Prosecution Service said.
Ward said he denies the charges of rape and sexual assault, adding in a statement: “I recognise that proceedings are now ongoing, and I have full faith that they will lead to my name being cleared.”
In a statement, Catherine Baccas, deputy chief crown prosecutor for CPS London South, said: “We remind all concerned that proceedings against the suspect are active and he has a right to a fair trial.
“It is vital that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in anyway prejudice these proceedings.”
Michael Ward has been charged with rape and sexual assault. He is pictured in October 2023. Pic: PA
Ward starred in the popular Netflix series Top Boy as Jamie. He also appeared in films like Blue Story, The Old Guard and Empire of Light.
In 2020, the Jamaican-born actor was awarded the Bafta Rising Star honour in 2020.
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He was nominated for Best Supporting Actor Bafta in 2021 for his role as Franklyn in the BBC series Small Axe, and 2022 for his performance as Stephen in Empire of Light.
Ward is also in the upcoming American film Eddington alongside Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal, which is set to be released in the UK next month.
Ward is pictured during the opening night of A View From The Bridge at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in London in June 2024. Pic: PA
He has more than a million followers on Instagram and participated in charity events like the Soccer Aid match at Stamford Bridge last year.
Ward gave a reading at the Christmas Eve carol service hosted by the Princess of Wales in 2023.
Kelly Osbourne has commented on the death of her father Ozzy Osbourne for the first time since he died on Tuesday.
The figurehead of heavy metal died aged 76, just a few weeks after performing a huge farewell show with his Black Sabbath bandmates in Birmingham, where the band was formed in 1968.
After the show, Kelly got engaged to her longtime partner and musician Sid Wilson, of the band Slipknot, after he got down on one knee backstage.
After the frontman passed away on Tuesday, the Osbourne family released a joint statement that read: “It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning. He was with his family and surrounded by love.”
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The life of Ozzy Osbourne
In her first comments since losing her father, Kelly wrote on Instagram: “I feel unhappy I am so sad. I lost the best friend I ever had,” followed by a broken heart emoji.
She was quoting lyrics from the 1972 Black Sabbath song Changes.
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The father and daughter were famously close, appearing on The Osbournes reality TV show together and covering the song Changes as a duet in 2003.
“That song stands for so much in our family and to me and Dad,” Kelly said on the TV show Ozzy & Jack’s World Detour, starring her brother, Jack.
“It was not only both of our first number one [single] in the UK, it represented a time in my life and a time in Dad’s life, it represented our relationship and how much we loved each other.”
Black Sabbath are widely credited with having invented heavy metal, but the piano ballad Changes widely deviated from their usual guitar and drum-heavy style.
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Coldplay dedicates Nashville concert to Ozzy Osbourne
The band Coldplay also used the song to pay tribute to Ozzy this week, playing a stripped back, short version of Changes in a show in Nashville, Tennessee.
After the song, frontman Chris Martin said: “Ozzy, we love you, wherever you’re going.”
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Riverdance star Michael Flatley is hoping to become Ireland’s next president, a court has heard.
The revelation came out in a legal case over work done on his mansion in County Cork, the Castlehyde.
Barrister Ronnie Hudson said there had been a “material change in circumstances” for Flatley and he’s set to move back to Ireland in the next two weeks in the hope of running in autumn’s election.
A legal statement signed by the star’s solicitor, Maxwell Mooney, was also submitted to the High Court stating Flatley would “seek nominations to run for president of Ireland”.
Flatley rose to fame when Riverdance, which features traditional Irish music and dance, became a phenomenon in the 1990s and went on to tour the world. It continues to be performed today.
The choreographer and dancer also created and starred in Lord Of The Dance.
The 67-year-old – who currently lives in Monaco – strongly hinted at a presidential bid last week, but said he hadn’t made a final decision.
He told a radio interview he didn’t think the Irish people had a “true proper deep voice that speaks their language”.
Flatley said the “average person on the street” is unhappy with the status quo and “somebody has to speak for the Irish people”.
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The role of president in Ireland is largely ceremonial and is currently held by Michael D Higgins, whose term ends on 11 November.
The election is expected to take place at the end of October.
A candidate needs nominations from at least 20 members of the Irish parliament or at least four local authorities.
Those who’ve already met the criteria are former farming journalist and EU commissioner Mairead McGuinness, and former Galway mayor Catherine Connolly.
Former MMA fighter Conor McGregor is among others who have also hinted they might run – although the prospect was universally rejected by other politicians in Ireland.
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