I'd had doubting emails, but I'll admit that I'd discounted them at the time as possibly uniformed. However, one cannot ignore Fox News, when it comes to Hollywood (though its politics are surely strident).
Here's what Fox News had to say about Keanu Reeves' generosity:
"As for Keanu doling out the big bucks, here's the real story: Two years ago he put some of his upfront money back into the production budget to ensure the creative staff -- costumes, special effects etc. -- could continue working on the trilogy. This was back when the first Matrix had not yet hit pay dirt. Since then, believe me, the movies have been such a success that everyone's gotten what they needed.
But Keanu has not written any personal checks to anyone. Sorry."
So, as much as such humility would instantly make Keanu a hero to hordes of underpaid and underappreciated sysadmins and developers worldwide, it appears that it's not happening. Sorry, the enlightenment isn't here.
Meanwhile... our Showbiz Correspondent has been no help at all with this breaking story. We wonder what he's been doing all this time with those expensive Hollywood mail-lists where directors and producers sniff each other like dogs. But he's not saying, hasn't even filed a story in weeks. So Hollywood remains a mysterious and rumor-driven tinsel-town to us.
[You're both fired! - Ed] µ