Red chair Morpheus is sitting on in the Matrix, and Ninja Turtle shell

fiberglassmasks

New Member
Anyone have any info on the red chair from the Matrix (pictured below)? What is the history on it? Is it available anywhere? Also, looking to buy a good full size ninja turtle shell, original or reproduction...

CopyofMorpheus_chair.jpg
 
I believe the term you want to search for is "red leather wing chair" or maybe "royal wing chair"

reminds me of this, although I suspect the piece used in the movie is a unique one with the lion head moldings. Also, from what I've heard, Laurence Fishburne is 6' tall, so maybe a custom piece too seeing as how high the back is.

large+red+leather+wing-back+chair+austin+craigslist+95.jpeg
 
Last edited:
That looks pretty good already and there are other similar styles on eBay. So I guess it is the lion 'pillars' that are of unknown origin, unless there was a chair made with those on it? Or it could be sculpted pieces...
 
just picked up on this thread...

has anybody been able to figure out if those chairs were custom made for the film as one offs or if they are standard versions made for the public?
 

I am pretty sure that they came out of the magazine of one of the rental stores and hence very likely antiques.
yeah those look close but are definitely different...

i couldnt find ANY chesterfield wingbacks that match what was used in the film...

im willing to bet they were custom made for the film...
 
Are you referring to these chairs? I would say that they are the real deal, where did you spot any differences?
It looks like they are on display at a prop rental facility. I am pretty sure that they are very likely not custom made furniture. Regardless of the movie´s budget, a set decorator in his right mind would, at least in my limited on-the-job experience, rent furniture or props for a fraction of the cost than having something custom made. I guess that pair of chairs may cost approximately 150 to 200 USD per week to rent. Having one of those custom made may set you back at least 2000 USD. A wild guess. I don´t have my art of the matrix book available at the moment, but it is possible that the rental facilities are mentioned there. IMDB has a few listed, but since they also filmed in Australia it may have been a rental house from Burbank or Sydney.

Regardless of all of the above, I am pretty sure that you´d find a carpenter and an upholstery shop who´d make them for you. I´d not discard the theory about the actors heights and the need to have them custom made, now that I think about that again. That and only that would be a reason to spend that much money.

OChKP.jpg
 
Are you referring to these chairs? I would say that they are the real deal, where did you spot any differences?
It looks like they are on display at a prop rental facility. I am pretty sure that they are very likely not custom made furniture. Regardless of the movie´s budget, a set decorator in his right mind would, at least in my limited on-the-job experience, rent furniture or props for a fraction of the cost than having something custom made. I guess that pair of chairs may cost approximately 150 to 200 USD per week to rent. Having one of those custom made may set you back at least 2000 USD. A wild guess. I don´t have my art of the matrix book available at the moment, but it is possible that the rental facilities are mentioned there. IMDB has a few listed, but since they also filmed in Australia it may have been a rental house from Burbank or Sydney.

Regardless of all of the above, I am pretty sure that you´d find a carpenter and an upholstery shop who´d make them for you.

View attachment 1365719



well in particular, right off the bat the heads of the lions are drastically different... as well as the mane detailing is slightly different...

1604699387884.png


also this detail is much deeper and sharper than the scene used one which has much more rounded edges...

1604699566026.png

1604699669334.png


but i definitely agree it does seem ridiculous to think theyd allocate a budget for custom armchairs...
 
Have you found any more information on these chairs? I can say for sure that the ones on display arent the ones seen on screen. look at the legs,vastly different in other photos. the screen used legs were thicker by a lot.
 

Attachments

  • matrixchair1.jpg
    matrixchair1.jpg
    20.1 KB · Views: 310
Last edited:
Have you found any more information on these chairs? I can say for sure that the ones on display arent the ones seen on screen. look at the legs. vastly different. in other photos. the screen used legs were thicker by a lot.
No new info on my end.
 
I wouldnt be surprised if the chairs and tv were found items, then a second set of everything was made to look better on screen,and accomidate the actors heights, ect. The winchester chair company does all custom orders and a super nice chair is like 800 bucks. Thats like two days wage for some low level crew members.
 
well in particular, right off the bat the heads of the lions are drastically different... as well as the mane detailing is slightly different...

View attachment 1365721

also this detail is much deeper and sharper than the scene used one which has much more rounded edges...

View attachment 1365722
View attachment 1365723

but i definitely agree it does seem ridiculous to think theyd allocate a budget for custom armchairs...
I agree that the chairs on display don't feel like the real thing. Easy to reproduce the leather chair but you need to match the wood armchair and the feet. And they don't match at all
 
Let's get this mystery solved. I don't have a lot of free time but I'm good at research. I think the screen used chairs are in storage.
I think it's possible that the ones we see here were the original found items, and then something more pretty was created either for a better look or as backup. notice the flat cushion, or lack of stuffing. the screen chairs also have this. theres gotta be a reason, a new chair doesnt look like that. So maybe the old worn out ones were almost perfect and they wanted to match that look with some custom chairs. to seem well used or to accommodate actors heights. I'm just throwing things out there.
 

Your message may be considered spam for the following reasons:

If you wish to reply despite these issues, check the box below before replying.
Be aware that malicious compliance may result in more severe penalties.
Back
Top