Keanu Reeves blacklisted? Why Fox put the actor on his naughty list
Keanu Reeves is one of the most lovable actors. The Matrix star is well known for two things: his privacy and being a genuinely nice person despite his tragic history. There are tons of stories about 'good boy Keanu', including cases where Reeves gave up his seat on the subway and bought land for a preschool.
To top that off, John Wick 3 recently made a whopping $ 57 million at the box office, putting Reeves back in the spotlight. All that said, it's hard to imagine Reeves doing something bad enough to be blacklisted by a studio. So why did Fox decide to put the kibosh on Reeves?
It all started with 'Speed'
Keanu Reeves starred in the 1994 blockbuster Speed alongside co-star Sandra Bullock. It has grossed a whopping $ 350.4 million at the box office.
Reeves fondly recalls the time he spent acting in the movie: “It was a great experience making that movie. [I] met Sandra Bullock, I got to work with her, she was fantastic. ' Reeves said. “It was a great role. Point Break was really a great opportunity for me in action movies and Speed was the second and a chance to do as much action as I could. With the help and support of all the stuntmen and everything, that movie was a lot of fun to make.
Reeves also becomes lyrical when working with Bullock. “It was just her talent in all settings. We had to fake quite outrageous things and she was so authentic and her humor and intelligence, her authenticity. It was a pleasure to be around and perform with them. '
Fox was eager to see Reeves reprise the role and bring in another great source of income for the studio. Unfortunately for Fox, Reeves had other ideas.
Put yourself in 'movie jail'
When Fox approached Reeves to star in Speed 2 Reeves unequivocally rejected them. According to Reeves, the Speed 2 script really turned it off.
“I loved working with Jan de Bont and Sandra, of course. It was just a situation in life where I got the script and read it and thought 'ugggghhh'. It was about a cruise ship and I was thinking, 'A bus, a cruise ... Speed, bus, but then a cruise is even slower than a bus and I said,' I love you, but I can't do it. '' Reeves explained on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
Reeves also mentions that he was instead looking forward to working on a theatrical production of Aldea in Canada, which contributed to his decision to turn Fox down. Needless to say, Fox was unhappy with Reeves and put him on what he describes it as a 'movie jail'.
'I didn't work with [Fox] again until' The Day Earth Stood Still. ' Reeves told GQ. Speed 2 was a huge box office flop, so perhaps Reeves had admirable foresight.
Forget about studies, we get dishonest
When it comes to working with big studios, Reeves could be seen as a rogue. In fact, Reeves hasn't worked on a studio movie since he appeared in 47 Ronin, which didn't please fans either.
Since then, Reeves has been working on the John Wick series and hopes to continue to do so. In fact, Reeves aims to stick with the character until fans no longer want him.
'As far as my legs can take me' Reeves told GQ when asked how long he expected to work at John Wick. 'As far as the audience wants to go'.
Reeves went on to mention that he never expected to become an action star in his middle age, but it seems like he's having fun.
