Keanu Reeves is one of Hollywood’s most sought-after and bankable stars today. As the undisputed king of franchises, the actor has cemented his place among other industry A-listers. The commercial success of The Matrix series and the John Wick films proved that Reeves is a consistent hit machine.
Before being catapulted to superstardom with these franchises, Keanu Reeves’ big break as an action star came with his presence in Jan De Bont’s thriller Speed in which the actor co-starred with Sandra Bullock. Interestingly, The Devil’s Advocate star’s character in the film was written very differently as per the original draft and was modified and enhanced later on by a future Marvel director.
Joss Whedon Saved Keanu Reeves’ Character In Speed
Speed directed by Jan De Bont became a huge blockbuster for its thrilling action and Keanu Reeves’ charismatic presence on screen. The actor who plays a tough, courageous, and empathetic cop, connected with audiences throughout the world. But his character was originally meant to be very different as a person.
The director had originally written him as a maverick smart-talking cop who spouts controversial one-liners. When Jan De Bont roped in Joss Whedon to step in to work on the script, the future Avengers director who was then an upcoming screenwriter, was unconvinced about the direction that Keanu Reeves’ character was going in. Speaking of the changes he made to the script and to Reeves’ cop, Whedon said,
“The biggest change for me came for me came from Keanu. The whole ‘Pop quiz, hot shot,’ was not me. There was this idea of Jack as this cop on the edge, who plays by his own rules, you know, ‘He’s a maverick! He’s out of control!’ Apart from Die Hard, which really made room for a thoughtful action hero, everybody [in action movies] had been that sort of thing.”
The tweak in the character arc ultimately proved to be a masterstroke for Keanu Reeves and Speed as it humanized the character and made him relatable to audiences. Not only did the film garner immense financial and blockbuster success, but it also cemented Reeves’ place as one of Hollywood’s prominent action stars. Speed screenwriter Graham Yost would later explain that Whedon wrote almost 99 percent of the dialogues but was unfortunately not given credit in the film for his efforts.
Keanu Reeves Will Appear In A John Wick Spin-Off
After his very successful tenure with The Matrix, Keanu Reeves took his luck with franchises to the next level with the John Wick series. John Wick: Chapter 4, the latest in the venture, was released in March 2023 and opened to extremely positive responses from audiences and critics alike, making Reeves’ collaboration with director Chad Stahelski one of the most successful actor-director partnerships in Hollywood.
The Matrix star will next be seen reprising his role as John Wick in a spin-off film titled Ballerina. Taking place between the events that occur in the 3rd and 4th films, the movie follows the ballerina/assassin Rooney, who first appeared in John Wick: Parabellum as she hunts down the murderers of her family. Ana De Armas will play the titular role in the film which is set to release in 2024. Reeves, who will be playing a supporting role in the spin-off, said,
“Yeah, I got to work with Ana de Armas, and the director Len Wiseman, and they had a great script, and John Wick has a small part to play in it. It was fun to put the suit back on.”
Speaking of his recent success with John Wick 4, Keanu Reeves complimented director Chad Stahelski’s vision for the franchise. He also heaped praise on his co-actor Bill Skarsgård and his character Marquis de Gramont for a brilliant performance that elevated the film multifold.
Source: Huffington Post
