Often credited to The Matrix, but actually first appeared in popular culture in the 1984 sci-fi movie "The Last Starfighter" when the main character's little brother sees a robo-duplicate of his brother.
what the shit?! why are there two copies of my brother?
First popularized to mainstream audiences by "The Matrix" in 1999 by a businessman, played by actor Jeremy Ball, this phrase is a counter-culture version of 'what the fuck' used previously. Abbreviated as 'WTS', the phrase had seen limited use in late 1998, prior to the the box-office release of "The Matrix", in online BBS and chat forums.
"What the shit -- My phone!" - Businessman, "The Matrix" (1997 Screenplay)
By Rhodie
What The Shit
Expression used to express shock or disbelief. Alternative to the phrase "what the fuck". Became more popular in the 1999 film "The Matrix". It was also used in the 1992 film "Alien 3", stated by Edward Boggs, played by Leon Herbert.