Image by Zanda Rice
If you’re of a certain age and want to feel old real quick, take this in. This summer marks the thirtieth anniversary of Speed, one of the biggest movies of 1994. It became an instant action classic, and made megastars out of its leads, Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock. Three years later came Speed 2: Cruise Control. Sandra Bullock was back, and director Jan de Bont, fresh off of another big hit with Twister, returned as well, but Keanu Reeves was nowhere to be seen. The final product is widely regarded as one of the worst sequels ever made, but Bullock’s career went on unscathed and Reeves became the biggest action star in the world thanks to The Matrix and John Wick franchises.
For three decades, audiences have pined to see Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock together again in another Speed movie. Sure, they made The Lake House together in 2006, but that wasn’t the same. We wanted the high intensity chemistry of Jack Traven and Annie Porter in a bus that would explode if it goes below 50 miles per hour. During a recent interview on 50 MPH podcast, Reeves and Bullock got together to discuss Speed and the idea of working together again, even on Speed 3. Now more than ever, it’s time to make that movie happen.
Speed
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In Jan de Bont’s 1994 action thriller Speed, LAPD officer Jack Traven (Keanu Reeves) works alongside passenger Annie (Sandra Bullock) to safely stop a bus that will explode if it goes below 50 mph.
Release DateJune 9, 1994DirectorJan de bontCastKeanu Reeves , Dennis Hopper , Sandra Bullock , Joe Morton , Jeff Daniels , Alan RuckRuntime116 minsMain GenreActionWritersGraham YostStudio20th Century FoxKeanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock on the Possibility of ‘Speed 3’
To celebrate three decades of Speed, Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock got together to appear on the 50 MPH podcast. The host couldn’t help but ask about the possibility of a Speed 3, to which Reeves said, “We’d freakin’ knock it out of the park.” Bullock acknowledged the chemistry that the two actors have and how she wants to work with Reeves at least one more time. Stating, “Before I die, before I leave this planet, I do think that Keanu and I need to do something in front of the camera.” Keanu Reeves agreed, saying, “It does feel like there is a siren call to it, like there’s something that wasn’t done. I would love to work with you again before our eyes close.” My God, there’s even chemistry in the way they do interviews together! Part of that chemistry comes from the fact that Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock have both talked about having crushes on each other during the filming of Speed. That’s easy to see even though the actors never acted on it and ended up with different people. However, because of this, among other factors, right now is the perfect moment to make Speed 3.
Beloved Movie Franchises Are Constantly Being Rebooted
The movie business, as we all know, has been reliant on remakes and reboots, with few original movies getting the attention they deserve. While both Oppenheimer and Barbie were box office successes, a year later we still look at them as the benchmark for original and success. This doesn’t mean that the movie theater experience is dead, but the days of big hits every week throughout the summer have visibly dwindled. As a result, the easiest thing for Hollywood execs to do is to return to a beloved franchise for a remake or reboot. Horror has already had the returns of Halloween, Scream, and The Exorcist.
In action, The Crow is coming back with Bill Skarsgard under the makeup and Henry Cavill is signed on for a reimagining of Highlander. Even Keanu Reeves has experienced this, with the returns of Bill & Ted and The Matrix in recent years. A Speed 3, at first glance, might seem like another unnecessary ’90s nostalgic cash grab, but that’s not the case. With Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock both on board, and where we last left Jack Traven and Annie Porter, there’s an opportunity to revisit that world in a meaningful and satisfactory manner.
‘Speed 3’ Would Not Be a Meaningless Nostalgia TripSpeed (1994) | Official Trailer | 20th Century Fox
Speed 2: Cruise Control failed to impress for a variety of reasons, including Reeves’ absence and its ridiculous plot. It simply replaced a bus with a boat and gave us cookie-cutter characters and a parody of a villain. Even if Keanu Reeves had signed up for the sequel, those problems would still be there. Still, audiences would probably have been more receptive as it was the chemistry between Reeves and Bullock that made that first film so popular. The premise was clever, the action intense, but none of that matters if you don’t like the characters. The chemistry between Jack and Annie was palpable. On the 50 MPH podcast, Bullock explained it, saying:
“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. And I think that’s what made it so electric too… watching it, I guess you want them to connect. That was a really clever setup, to sort of keep people apart. Foreplay, I guess.”
There might have been other people on that runaway bus, but Jack and Annie are almost in their own little world, supporting each other, making jokes to lessen the other’s stress, and smiling at each other in the rare moments when they have eye contact. That’s so much hotter and more impactful than any 𝑠e𝑥 scene. More than once, Jack wraps his arms around Annie to protect her in a moment when they might die. They’re a great fit for each other and even have a screen scorching kiss, but the movie ends before they even have a date. Speed shows them being great together in the heat of the moment, but who would they be after that intensity ends? We’ve been waiting for thirty years to find out what happened next.
Joss Whedon Tried (and Failed) to Get a Script Credit for ‘Speed’
Nobody seems to know who really deserves credit for the Keanu Reeves blockbuster.
Action movies have mostly fallen out of favor, but in his 50s, Keanu Reeves is the coolest action badass around because of John Wick, and Sandra Bullock is still owning the screen with movies like The Lost City. We don’t often get to see middle-aged couples in action movies without their age being a joke. In Speed 3, they can just be two people, perhaps a married couple with a family, which raises the stakes in a new adventure even more. Whatever happens, it will feel fresh because we never got to see Jack and Annie together. What’s more, Speed 3 would also show that it’s not just Keanu Reeves who could be the badass action hero. If Speed proved anything, it’s that Bullock’s character was just as brave. Now imagine a middle-aged Jack and Annie joining forces to stop another bad guy, all while stopping to share a kiss or two. That would put butts in the seats!
