The reason why Keanu Reeves was blacklisted by Fox for 10 years
Keanu Reeves has been consistently named one of the most beloved figures in Hollywood for a while now. Known for his involvement in incredibly popular projects such as The Matrix and John Wick, Reeves has remained an integral part of popular culture, and his global following has only grown over time.
If you’re a fan of the enigmatic actor as well, you might ask: “How can anyone be mad at Keanu?” This question was recently raised when Matthew Perry attacked Reeves in his new memoir. It seemed like the entire internet community came to Reeves’ defence by criticising Perry’s unjustified attack, which forced the Friends star to apologise.
However, Matthew Perry wasn’t the only one who felt that way about Reeves. In a 2019 interview with GQ, Reeves opened up about the time he was sent to “movie jail”. According to the actor, Fox Studios decided to put Reeves’ name on a blacklist after he refused to appear in a potential sequel to the 1994 thriller Speed.
During the negotiations about the sequel, Sandra Bullock agreed to reprise her role, but Reeves wasn’t interested in revisiting the project. Ultimately, Reeves was replaced by Jason Patric, while Willem Dafoe played the role of the antagonist. Looking back, Reeves made the right choice since Speed 2 won the Worst Sequel Award at the Razzies.
In the conversation with GQ, Reeves revealed: “I didn’t work with [Fox] again until The Day the Earth Stood Still.” The actor was blacklisted from Fox projects for a decade, but he made a comeback with the 2008 sci-fi film The Day The Earth Stood Still.
The film starred Reeves as an extraterrestrial messenger who comes to Earth in human form to convince humans to mend their ways before apocalyptic measures come into action. Loosely based on the eponymous 1951 film, Scott Derrickson’s remake served as an interesting commentary on current environmental concerns.
When asked about the subtextual elements of the sci-fi film, Reeves answered: “I think environmental issues are on everyone’s mind. It’s part of our culture now, and I can only applaud and laud anyone who is doing what they can and raising awareness.”
