Keanu Reeveshas seen his career go from strength to strength through the power of sequels, and his next sequel should beSpeed 3.Speedwas one of thebest action movies of the 1990s, and like many great action movies, it had a simple premise. A city bus is rigged to explode if it goes below 50 miles per hour, while an LAPD officer and a passenger work together to bring the situation under control. Neither Keanu Reeves nor Sandra Bullock were considered action stars at the time, andSpeedadded a new dimension to their careers.
Speedwas a critical and box office success, and whileKeanu Reeves was not inSpeed 2: Cruise Control, the sequel starred Sandra Bullock, who reprised her original role as Annie. Unfortunately,Speed 2was critically panned, earning just a 4% critical rating onRotten Tomatoes. The movie was such a failure that many fans and critics disowned it. However, the original movie was so popular that there is still demand for a sequel. BothReeves and Bullock have expressed interest inSpeed 3, with Reeves saying"we’d freakin' knock it out of the park."
Keanu Reeves & Sandra Bullock Must Reunite For A Real Speed Sequel
Both Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock Want To Make Speed 3
Sequels have often had a bad reputation in the movie industry. That said, when they work well, they can give new life to a franchise. Some ofthe best movie sequels of all timehave surpassed the original movie, especially when fan-favorite characters return. Unlike many 1990s action movies, the central plot forSpeedis so simple and versatile that it could be modernized and reworked for the digital age.If both Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock reunited forSpeed 3, the sequel could eclipse the failure ofSpeed 2, even rebooting the franchise.
The Condition For Speed 3 To Happen Perfectly Explains What Went Wrong With The 1997 Sandra Bullock Sequel
One solid condition For Speed 3 to happen highlights one of the biggest reasons why Speed’s 1997 sequel failed to recreate the original film’s success
WhileSpeed 3has not happened yet, the idea has not been ruled out.Both Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock have said they would star inSpeed3if the idea excited them. 20th Century Studios president Steve Asbell toldThe Hollywood Reporter,“They’d have to be a part of the development of that idea.” While Bullock had signed up for the 1997 sequel, Reeves had turned it down, saying that it just wasn’t right. Many critics felt that Reeves' absence was the reason for the failure ofSpeed 2, but other factors also made it a box office flop.
Speed 3 Must Change The Movie’s Vehicle To Something New
Speedwas set on a bus, butSpeed 2moved the action to a cruise ship, which reviewers generally regarded as a bad decision. The original movie’s high stakes came from factors like traffic, Annie’s lack of experience as a bus driver, and the speed that the bus had to maintain. A cruise ship is much slower than a bus, with far fewer obstacles to hit in the ocean, making the action feel less urgent. Whilea bomb expert gaveSpeeda “zero” for realism, the movie was intense and entertaining, which could not be said forSpeed 2.
Box office
1994
95%
1997
$164.5 Million
4%
To make aSpeedsequel, a fast-moving vehicle must be central to the plot. The bus has been done before, anda cruise ship was the wrong vehicle, soSpeed 3must use something else. SinceSpeed, many action movies have been set on aircraft, so that may not be the freshest idea.Speed 3must revisit some ofSpeed’s best plot points, with another factor being the confined space.The Italian Jobproved that very small cars had great potential for stunts, so this could be an option that provides a small space, stunts, and high stakes.
Speed 3 Would Continue Keanu Reeves' Trend Of Revisiting Iconic Characters
Sandra Bullock Rarely Does Sequels But She Is Also Revisiting Another Of Her Characters
Keanu Reeves sequels have often defied the bad reputation that many sequels have had. Neo is one ofKeanu Reeves' best characters, andThe Matrix: Resurrectionsreceived better reviews than the previousMatrixsequel.Bill & Ted Face The Musicwas an unexpected critical hit, with Reeves returning to play Ted, his goofiest character.Keanu Reeves seems set to continue his sequel trend, also stating a wish to play John Constantine again.Speed 3would continue this trend, and if Sandra Bullock was also to star, theSpeedsequel would be off to a good start.
Speed 3has the potential to be a fast success.
Sandra Bullock rarely does sequels, and the two that she has appeared in so far have not been well-received. In addition toSpeed 2, Bullock also starred inMiss Congeniality 2, which was critically panned, though her performance was praised. That said, she has been confirmed forPractical Magic 2, and whileOcean’s 8is technically a sequel, it works as a standalone movie, surpassing otherOcean’s 11sequels. With more attention being paid to sequels and their power to revitalize a franchise,Speed 3has the potential to be a fast success if its two main stars return.
Source:Rotten Tomatoes,The Hollywood Reporter
Speed
Created by John de Bont and Graham Yost, Speed is a movie franchise that follows characters caught in precarious situations as passengers aboard vehicles set to crash and detonate. The first film stars Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock, with Reeves playing the role of Officer Jack Traven as he hunts a dangerous bomber, finding himself stuck on a bus that will explode if it falls under a certain speed.
