Keanu Reeves is one of the biggest action stars right now and the actor has been a huge hit with his fresh action franchise John Wick. But 30 years ago, the actor starred in Jan de Bont’s Speed which established him as an action star, the movie still holds its prominence and many dubbed the movie as one of the greatest action movies ever made.
Keanu Reeves Spent 6 Weeks On The Bus While Filming Speed
Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves in Speed (1994). Image Credit: 20th Century Studios
Speed turns 30. Keanu Reeves’ 1994 movie is definitely one of the most highly celebrated ones in his career. Amid many different behind-the-scenes stories, the actor once revealed that he spent six weeks in the bus circling around town. During his promotional tour, Reeves appeared in an episode of Late Night with David Letterman and discussed the details of the movie that defined his career. “Just about, um 6 weeks,” Reeves told Letterman.
But the filming process, for Reeves, was fun, “going round and round in circles but it was cool I mean we would drive through the streets and smash into cars,” he said showing the excitement on his face. Also, most of the time the bus— the primary plot of the narrative happens in a bus with a bomb that will explode below 50 miles/hour speed— hits something, Reeves was in the bus.
Of course, that was not a good idea but “it was weird because sometimes we would, we, they would set up these stunts, right?” Reeves said. And then “uh they wouldn’t go quite how they were planned, so, it’s up. One time this car, um, got hit uh, spun around went over over a divider and flipped and so everyone in the bus was a little freaked out cuz they didn’t tell us.”
What Speed Is About?
Speed is set in a bus where a bomb is planted which will explode if the bus de-accelerates under 50 miles/hour. The official synopsis of the movie reads—
“Los Angeles police officer Jack (Keanu Reeves) angers retired bomb squad member Howard Payne (Dennis Hopper) by foiling his attempt at taking hostages. In revenge, Payne arms a bus with a bomb that will explode if it drops below 50 miles per hour. With the help of spunky passenger Annie (Sandra Bullock), Jack and his partner Harry (Jeff Daniels) try to save the people on the bus before the bomb goes off, while also trying to figure out how Payne is monitoring them.”
Reeves also commented on the plot of the narrative admitting that the very premise of the movie might sound silly but the movie has the gravity and essence of a top-class action flick. “Yeah I know it sounds kind of silly, doesn’t it?” Reeves confessed before Letterman. “But it’s good,” he added. “I mean that’s what’s good about it I mean that’s why when I opened up the cover when I first saw the script, it said Speed and then there was a bomb on a bus and if it went under 50 it would blow up etc, etc, it sounded so fantastic that you know I like that.”
de Bont has certainly nailed it. The Sandra Bullock and Reeves starrer movie grossed over $350 million against the estimated $30–37 million production budget. Also, the movie went on to be a critical darling claiming a stunning 95% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Stream Speed on Starz.
