When Does "The Matrix Reloaded" (2003) Take Place?
"The Matrix Reloaded" is a science fiction film written by Lana Wachowski with Lilly Wachowski that released May 15th, 2003. So when is "The Matrix Reloaded" set?
It takes place on the fictional The Matrix timeline roughly in the year:
We know this because Morpheus heavily implies 6 months have passed since the conclusion of the film "The Matrix" (1999) when he says, "Consider that, in the past 6 months, we have freed more minds than in 6 years". “The Matrix” (1999) takes place in 2699 AD. It’s implied to be September, based on the date it is believed to be inside the Matrix.
~2700 AD
We know this because Morpheus heavily implies 6 months have passed since the conclusion of the film "The Matrix" (1999) when he says, "Consider that, in the past 6 months, we have freed more minds than in 6 years". “The Matrix” (1999) takes place in 2699 AD. It’s implied to be September, based on the date it is believed to be inside the Matrix.
9.2699 + 6. = 3.2700.
The timeline of the Matrix Universe is fairly unique among the largest franchises because the human characters within its fictional world (diegesis) do not themselves know what year it truly is for the duration of most of the stories.
Things appear to be contemporaneous with the making of the work but this timeframe only applies for the characters living within the Matrix who accept the false narrative they are presented: that it is still the late 20th century. In the video game "The Matrix Online" (2005), Tic Tock explains that the calendars and clocks within the Matrix are [or maybe previous to the events of the third film, "The Matrix Revolutions" (2003) were] periodically reset to 1999 AD.
It is the second chronological film in The Matrix Universe timeline and can be watched after at its timeline point the film "The Matrix" (1999). [Expanded elements enrich the experience: it can be watched after "Final Flight of the Osiris" (2003).]
It was adapted as part of a video game "The Matrix: Path of Neo" in 2005.
