When The Matrix debuted in March, 1999 it was an entirely unknown quantity. Directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski -- whose previous big screen credits included the sleeper hit thriller Bound and penning the script for the Banderas-Stallone action flick Assassins -- there were no grandiose expectations for their obscure sci-fi flick.

But The Matrix opened to widespread critical acclaim, eventually capturing $460 million US at the box office and spawning a massive cult following.

Fast forward four years and the popularity of The Matrix has spread like a virus, influencing all manner of popular culture with its blend of cyber-punk chic, high-flying bullet-stopping action and spiritualism.

Now, when you think "matrix" you imagine nothing less than the cool clothes and eye-popping visual effects pioneered in the Wachowskis' first film.

Buoyed by the movie's runaway box office success, Warner Brothers decided a sequel or two might prove to be a worthy investment. When asked, the Wachowski brothers jumped at the chance to shape the matrix universe according to their vision.

It's a world that encompasses the separate universes of cinema, electronic gaming and the Internet.

Dedicated Matrix fans have been enjoying a series of animated shorts online -- collectively referred to as The Animatrix.

Four of the shorts -- designed to flesh out the "matrix" universe and fill in some historical gaps -- were written by the brothers themselves, with the others handled by acclaimed anime directors including Aeon Flux's Peter Chung.

The series was a chance to expand on the visual possibilities of The Matrix and pay homage to some of anime's top directors such as Katsuhiro Otomo's Akira and Mamoru Oshii's Ghost in the Shell -- films that inspired the Wachowski brothers' vision.

But it's also a way of satisfying fans' never ending appetite during the long years spent filming the sequels. Four of the instalments are already available free online, with the remaining five set to be released in DVD and VHS packages in June.

Like everything else in the "matrix" universe, the animated shorts are only one part of a much bigger puzzle.

"The Final Flight of the Osiris serves as chapter 1.5 in The Matrix trilogy, giving fans an electrifying ride though the events that occur following The Matrix and directly impact the story told in the video game Enter the Matrix. In turn, this chain of action sets off The Matrix Reloaded," producer Joel Silver told Animation World Magazine.

"It's not crucial that fans see Final Flight or play Enter the Matrix to enjoy The Matrix Reloaded, but their movie-going experience will be immeasurably enhanced and they will gain a deeper understanding of the world of The Matrix."

The video game Silver's talking about is yet another piece of the Wachowski's grand puzzle. Set to hit store shelves on the same day as Reloaded opens in theatres the brothers wanted more than a standard-issue video game tie-in that has little more in common with the movie than a shared character or two. So, instead of commissioning a developer to create a game after the fact, the brothers teamed up with Australian video game developer Shiny Entertainment and set about drafting their vision.

The result was a 600-page script for a video game the Wachowskis would produce and direct, on set, in parallel with the film final two instalments.

"This is not just a bunch of video game people making their version of The Matrix," Shiny Entertainment's David Perry told Australia's Herald Sun. "It's movie people helping make the game."

Capitalizing on Shiny's technical expertise and the brothers' vision they came up with Enter The Matrix -- a game that all of the requisite features, such as motion-captured movement, cutting edge graphics, and ear-popping sound effects, but goes one step further by interweaving its plot with that of the movies.

Matrix producer Joel Silver explained how it works in Britain's Independent newspaper:

"All of the actors in the movie have scenes in the video game, and the game scenes connect back to the movie itself. There are scenes in the movie that will end with the movie but will continue with the video game."

Enter The Matrix follows the story of Jada Pinkett Smith's character Niobe. Although a supporting player in the movie, she's the star of the game, charged with finding a crucial package and getting it back to Zion.

With more than an hour of exclusive cinematic action and all the shooting, karate-chopping, driving and hacking action you can handle, it has all the elements of a top notch video game. There's even the requisite bullet-time mode that lets you slow the world around you while dodging bullets or issuing swift high-kicks -- with the simple touch of a button.

But according to Canada AM technology correspondent Kris Abel, the game hacks into a new paradigm with its star power and high-quality cinematic sequences.

"Sometimes, developers will shoot "cut-scenes" for videogames, but often that's done on the cheap. This is the first time that it's actually part of the movie production," Abel told CTV.ca.

Another first is the extent to which the game is based on the actors' performances.

"In the past you've had some games based on movies such as the James Bond titles, but the difference here is Jada allowed herself to be subjected to weeks of motion capture sessions in which she allowed her entire body, not just her voice, but her acting and all her moves to be used in the game," Abel explained.

The process has made Pinkett-Smith the most motion-captured human on the planet, and put her on the vanguard of electronic entertainment. Banking on its expected success, the game's producers are already working on a Terminator 3 tie-in using the same techniques, and plan to offer other movie productions the chance to follow suit.

If you want in, you can enter the game on May 15 -- the same day Reloaded hits theatres. But you'll have to ante up another $70 to take home the chance to save humanity on your PC, PS2, Xbox or GameCube.

With the production costs of the sequels ringing in at an estimated $300 million US - or roughly six times the cost of the original -- the push is on to cash in on the tremendous public anticipation. So, the Wachowski brothers have also made sure the movie has all of the tie-ins expected of a summer blockbuster.

If you wanted to be the first to see the official film teasers, trailers or Animatrix shorts online, you'd have to download Apple's latest video player software Quicktime.

Considering the huge demand for a glimpse of anything from The Matrix, each download goes a long way in the battle to dominate Internet streaming video standards.

Of course, the trailer does little to disappoint fans. Plenty of kinetic, fast-paced action and a hint of the movie's key action sequences -including a spectacular highway chase scene. But while you're entranced by the ballet of bullets, bodies and careening metal, you'll also notice some high-powered Cadillacs swerving through the carnage.

They're part of the American automaker's largest-ever movie product placement. Cadillac was so eager to have its cars star in the 20-minute chase scene, engineers cobbled together two dozen EXT and CTS prototypes more than a year before the actual vehicles hit production lines.

And of course, the car maker's not alone. Inspired by the runaway success of the Nokia phone featured in The Matrix, Korean electronics giant Samsung figured Reloaded would be the perfect showcase for its own future-technology concept. So they created a suitably futuristic cellular for the film - and a similar looking, but less functional version for sale in the U.S.

And it doesn't stop there. Electronics retailer Best Buy, Heineken and Coca-Cola's Powerade are all attached to the movie in the hopes of basking in The Matrix's cool green glow.

Despite the cast of corporate partners, when Keanu and crew plug into theatres, fans won't be sitting down to watch the movie with "The One" meal deals in hand.

But don't let that fact fool you into believing your part of a movie audience too sophisticated for the crass marketing campaigns that are de riguer in Hollywood. Because you would, of course, be wrong.

Through four years of waiting, the secrets of The Matrix have been kept under wraps. There was no leaked script or rough cut of the movie, and few have seen the video game. And in the final few days before Reloaded debuts, little had changed.

Abel, who is in Las Vegas for the annual E3 convention, says that even the lucky few who have had the chance to play the game have had to sign what they described as "the most extensive privacy agreement they'd ever seen".

"I get the feeling that the video game potentially has spoilers for the movie," Abel explained. "And they really don't want anyone to be able to play the video game or see the movie until both are available to buy."

And that's where the Wachowskis have caught the audience in their web. Because for all the talk of artistry, story and cinematic revolution it does come down to the desire to cash in on an eager audience clamouring for anything "matrix."

But rather than bombard fans with endless promotions, trinkets and tie-ins the Wachowskis crafted a sales pitch bound to draw in the dollars, without hacking the brand.

As Abel puts it, "It's one excellent way of creating such a huge hyped franchise and milking it for all it's worth."