“This is magic. How did they do this?” That was Priyanka Chopra’s first thought as she, a teenager then, watched The Matrix (1999) in a theatre with her friends. Over two decades later, she has the answer. The actor has joined the cast of The Matrix Resurrections, the fourth instalment in the successful franchise. “I was in India when I got a call that Lana [Wachowski, director] wanted to meet me. I was on the next flight to San Francisco. That’s how excited I was. To be a part of the legacy of The Matrix franchise is an honour,” says the actor, the excitement palpable in her voice.

The Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss starrer was shrouded in secrecy at the beginning. Was Chopra told at the first meeting that she was being considered for a role in the iconic sci-fi actioner? “Initially, it was called Project Ice Cream [its code name]. I was only told about my character. Eventually, Lana gave me the script after I met her. [We were] in her office and she was like, ‘Just grab the script’. It was fresh off the presses,” she laughs.

Chopra steps into the role of Sati, whom she describes as “a woman with a purpose”. “There’s something powerful about a woman who is intentional. She knew [all along] that she will cross paths with Neo [Reeves’ character].” The latest in the series is the first to be helmed solely by Lana without her co-director and sister Lilly. “She’s one of the few people in the world who knows what the Matrix is. So, it was important to follow her leadership.”

Shooting with Reeves, Jada Pinkett Smith, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Jessica Henwick was a cherished experience for the actor, who gleefully says, “The first time I saw the entire cast standing together, I had a bit of a fangirl moment.”