Before Priyanka Chopra in The Matrix 4, Did You Know Lara Dutta Was Approached for the Original Trilogy?

Priyanka Chopra joining The Matrix 4 has been a huge news when it came out a couple of months. This has been one of Priyanka's big projects in her Hollywood journey, since she played the main antagonist in Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron's Baywatch. Not to mention, headlining an American series, Quantico, as the lead. The Matrix 4 brings back Lana Wachowski, one of the Wachowski sisters who directed the original trilogy, along with its lead stars, Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss. Jada Pinkett Smith and Lambert Wilson  are also reprising their characters from the original trilogy. Priyanka Chopra Joins Keanu Reeves' Matrix 4, Will Start Shooting for it in Germany.

Priyanka Chopra will also be joined by other new cast members in  Neil Patrick Harris, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jessica Henwick, Jonathan Groff, Andrew Caldwell, Brian J Smith, and Ellen Hollman. While the details of her character are still unknown, the actress has resumed shooting for the film recently after the lockdown restrictions were lifted. The Matrix 4 would possible release on April 1, 2022.

Now let's do a little throwback. All Priyanka Chopra fans know that before she entered movies, she was a beauty crown and was crowned Miss World in 2000. The very same year, Lara Dutta, Priyanka's co-star in Andaz, was also crowned Miss Universe. And did you know that Lara was the first to be approached for The Matrix films, when the original trilogy was made? Matrix 4: Keanu Reeves' Upcoming Sequel Gets Delayed By Over a Year, Will Now Release on April 1, 2022.

As per reports, post her Miss Universe-win, Lara Dutta was approached for the role of Persephone, a crucial character that appeared in the Matrix sequels, Reloaded and Revolutions.  Popular French actress Monica Bellucci later played the role.

According to these reports, Lara Dutta, who was last seen in the Hotstar series Hundred, turned down the role because she wasn't happy with the script. However, in an interview given to Bollywood Hungama in 2016, she clarified that wasn't the reason at all.

She said, "Let's face it that it will only require a fool's brains to be turning down the role because of the script. But the fact is that it is true, I was offered a role in The Matrix. But this happened during my 'Miss Universe' days. I turned it down as my mother fell really sick during that time and I very badly wanted to come back home and be with her."

While we are disappointed that we couldn't see Lara shine in the role of the femme fatale in the Matrix films, circa 2022, Priyanka Chopra gives us a reason to be proud, as she (hopefully) kicks ass in bullet-time along with Keanu Reeves.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 07, 2020 06:05 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).