The world premiere of ‘The Matrix Resurrections’ took place in San Francisco on Sunday night. For many, it seemed like an obvious choice because portions of the film were shot in and around the Bay Area, but for filmmaker Lana Wachowski, the decision was personal.

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“I love San Francisco. I love this theater,” the director told The Hollywood Reporter while standing on the press line behind the historic 1,400-seat Castro Theatre.

“I’ve seen so many important films here, and 27 years ago, when I was unsure about whether or not I was going to be able to be a filmmaker in my life, the Castro was where we had a premiere of Bound for the LGBTQ film festival Frameline. It was such an extraordinary experience, and that was a touchstone moment in my life. I thought it would be nice to come back here, give something back to the city, give some energy to the city and say thank you to the city. This theater seemed like the perfect place.”

Before the arrival of crew, guests, producers and cast, led once again by Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss, there was a fleet of motorcycles including a Ducati racing up and down the block.

‘The Matrix Resurrections’ is the fourth installment in the Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow franchise, and it arrives close to two decades after the trilogy revolutionized the action genre.

The first entry, 1999’s ‘The Matrix’, grossed north of $463 million at the worldwide box office, and ‘Reloaded’ far exceeded that, grossing $741 million worldwide while the last entry, ‘Revolutions’, earned $427 million.

Priyanka Chopra Jonas, who plays Sati in the new film, said the scene was striking. “It’s so cool.” 

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“Seeing that after two years of not seeing people is crazy. But you also see fans and their commitment to The Matrix and the commitment to this movie. After I was cast in the movie, I realized the fandom of it. It’s incredible to see the love,” she said about theatres.

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While the event marked the biggest Hollywood premiere to ever hit the legendary LGBTQ enclave, not all in the neighborhood were celebrating, reports THR.

Several local news reports posted in recent days quoted frustrated small business owners as they expressed concern over lost parking spaces on the final weekend before the Christmas holiday, typically a bustling shopping period. Multiple sources also criticized city leaders and Warner Bros. for not expressly detailing plans in advance.