Keanu Reeves made one of the smartest career moves ever by giving Speed 2 a hard pass. The first Speed was an absolute adrenaline rush, a steady ride of shambles and outbursts. So when they announced a sequel, everyone just assumed Reeves would be back for more but nope, he slammed the brakes on that one.
Instead of him racing against time, we got Jason Patric as Sandra Bullock’s new on-screen boyfriend. Not precisely something fans were hoping for. Reeves took one look at the script and knew it wasn’t exemplary. So, he trusted his gut and walked away. And guess what? He was right.
Why Keanu Reeves Opted Out of Speed 2
When Speed 2 dropped, everyone presumed Keanu Reeves would be back as Jack Traven. After all, he was a major reason the first movie was such a hit. But when the sequel began filming, fans quickly detected something was missing—him. Instead, Jason Patric took over as Alex Shaw, Annie Porter’s new boyfriend. So why didn’t Reeves return? Simple—he didn’t enjoy the script. He explained on The Graham Norton Show (per Variety):
“I really wanted to work with Sandra Bullock again, 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.”
The Hollywood star had a point. A high-speed bus chase through Los Angeles was exciting. But a cruise ship slowly drifting toward danger? Not so much. Reeves also talked about it on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, saying he read the script and immediately thought, “Ugh.”
Another reason was timing. Reeves had just wrapped up Chain Reaction, another action-heavy flick, and wasn’t too keen on plunging straight into another exhausting role. So instead of Speed 2, he went for The Devil’s Advocate with Al Pacino and Charlize Theron—a much savvier move, considering that movie was actually a runaway success.
Even though Reeves bailed on Speed 2, he wasn’t salty about it. He had only good things to say about Sandra Bullock and director Jan de Bont. But his gut told him to hit the exit, and honestly? Looking back, that was some spot-on intuition.
Here’s Why Keanu Reeves Made the Right Call Skipping Speed 2
The first Speed was a box office triumph. Speed 2? Not even close. It barely made back its budget, earning $164.5 million worldwide (according to Box Office Mojo). Critics weren’t easygoing, either. They called it sluggish, tedious, and a huge downgrade from the original.
The movie got eight Razzie nominations, including Worst Sequel. It even prevailed one. Meanwhile, Reeves was out there making all the right preferences. After bypassing Speed 2, he starred in The Devil’s Advocate, which did well. Then came The Matrix, which turned him into a Hollywood legend.
In the end, Reeves’ decision to walk away was the most reasonable thing he could have done. The sequel lacked the exhilaration and excitement of the original, and skipping it helped him sidestep a major career blunder.
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