Keanu Reeves addresses ‘Speed 3’ prospect: “We’d freaking knock it out the park”
In 1994, Keanu Reeves, Dennis Hopper and Sandra Bullock starred in the first Speed movie. Directed by Jan de Bont, the action thriller was an immediate success, launching Reeves into a lucrative career in action, culminating in his involvement in The Matrix later in the decade.
In 1997, de Bont released a sequel. However, Speed 2: Cruise Control failed to live up to the expectations set by the original. Critics cited the absence of Reeves, who was replaced by Jason Patric, and the weak storyline set on a slow-moving ship. Speaking to TooFab in 2022, Bullock revealed that she was “still embarrassed I was in it.” Over a quarter of a century later, Reeves seems interested in giving the franchise another shot.
The basic plot of the original movie revolves around a bus that a villain rigs up with explosives that will activate if the vehicle falls below 50mph. Although Bullock had to reprise her role without Reeves in the sequel, the pair remained close and starred together in the 2006 romantic drama The Lake House.
The pair recently appeared on the 50 MPH podcast to discuss their experiences making the first movie and the possibility of a third instalment. Addressing the prospect of Speed 3, Reeves said: “I mean, you know — we’d freakin’ knock it out of the park.”
Adding to the discussion, Bullock seemed more intent on working alongside Reeves again, whether that meant shooting Speed 3 or a slower movie in a care home setting. “There’s no formula,” she said. “It just is. Before I die, before I leave this planet, I do think that Keanu and I need to do something in front of the camera.”
Speed 2 was set on a large boat, but Bullock suggested an even slower vehicle for Speed 3. “Are we in wheelchairs or with walkers?” she asked jovially. “Maybe. Are we on little scooters at Disneyland?”
Chiming in, Reeves agreed with Bullock’s point that, no matter what the movie is, they need to collaborate again. “It does feel like there is a siren call to it like there’s something that wasn’t done,” he said. “I would love to work with you again before our eyes close.”
In 2021, Reeves revealed why he declined the opportunity to appear in Speed 2 in an appearance on The Graham Norton Show. “At the time, I didn’t respond to the script,” he said. “I really wanted to work with Sandra Bullock. I loved playing Jack Traven, and I loved Speed, but an ocean liner? I had nothing against the artists involved, but at that time, I had the feeling it just wasn’t right.” ‘
On the 50 MPH podcast, Bullock discussed her chemistry with Reeves in more detail, noting how their lack of engagement actually elevated the tension between their characters. “People have full-blown affairs in movies, and you don’t feel something between them,” she noted. “And then people can hate each other in movies and you go, ‘That was electric,’ you know?”
Since their characters were so busy trying to save a busload of people, Bullock and Reeves’ characters rarely made eye contact during the movie. “We didn’t really look at each other in this movie except for maybe three or four times because we were constantly battling the elements,” Bullock continued. “I think that’s what made it so electric, too, is that, watching it, I guess you want them to connect. That was a really clever setup to sort of keep people apart. Foreplay, I guess.”
Reeves is famous for his genial personality, which Bullock felt made Speed a memorable experience. “I felt very comfortable with Keanu,” she concluded. “There was nothing that I couldn’t try or do or say that he wouldn’t have, I felt, fought for me to do or say or try, and that kind of trust is very rare with actors. Anytime I threw something his way, he swatted it right back, and you just go, ‘Okay, there’s my partner.’”
You can listen to the whole 50 MPH podcast episode here. Watch the trailer for Speed below.
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