Speed writer Graham Yost believes he and star Keanu Reeves “dodged a bullet” when they didn’t return for the action film’s critically panned sequel. In an interview with ComicBook to promote Silo Season 2, Yost was asked about the possibility of making a “true sequel” reuniting Reeves and Sandra Bullock. He touched on the difficulty of bringing the two A-listers together for a new film before addressing the lingering shadow Speed 2: Cruise Control casts over the franchise.
“There is also just the echo of Speed 2, and that’s hard to shake off for Sandra Bullock,” Yost said. “Keanu and I both feel, ‘Man, we really dodged a bullet on that one.’ I used to say that I was not invited to a party I didn’t want to go to.” During the interview, Yost mentioned he thinks Speed producer Mark Gordon is collaborating with Reeves and Bullock on something, but the project is unrelated to the Speed franchise.
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Released in 1994, the original Speed was one of the biggest hits of the year, grossing $350.4 million worldwide against a $30 million production budget. It also received widespread acclaim, with critics praising the film’s exhilarating action set pieces and the chemistry between Reeves and Bullock. That success inevitably gave way to a sequel, but Reeves notably did not return to reprise Jack Traven. Jason Patric was cast as Reeves’ replacement, portraying LAPD officer Alex Shaw alongside Bullock’s Annie Porter. Willem Dafoe rounded out the main cast as villain John Geiger.
Unfortunately for the filmmakers, Speed 2: Cruise Control was a case of diminishing returns. Budgeted at $160 million, the sequel was a box office bomb, earning only $164.5 million worldwide. That poor commercial performance was likely the byproduct of the word-of-mouth, as Speed 2 received nearly universally negative reviews and eight Razzie Award nominations. Its cruise ship setting was seen as a downgrade from the original’s speeding bus, and the writing was heavily criticized. A third installment never came into fruition.
Legacy sequels have been a hot trend in Hollywood recently, with Reeves revisiting some of his iconic roles via Bill & Ted Face the Music and The Matrix Resurrections. Since the original Speed is considered an action classic, there would probably be some interest in revitalizing the property. In fact, 20th Century Studios President Steve Asbell seems open to the idea of a Speed 3, but admitted such a project wouldn’t move forward unless Reeves and Bullock were fully onboard. That’s probably for the best, seeing that Reeves’ absence was one of the most maligned elements of Speed 2. Considering how beloved the actor is, it wouldn’t make sense to try to make Speed 3 without him.
As fun as it might be to see Reeves and Bullock in Speed 3, it probably wouldn’t happen anytime soon. Both actors continue to keep busy; in particular, Reeves is attached to star in Constantine 2, which remains on track. There’s also the possibility he could appear in another John Wick film, be it a spinoff a la Ballerina or John Wick 5. Even if Speed 3 doesn’t get off the ground, audiences can still look forward to Reeves and Bullock’s mystery project with Gordon, which will hopefully tap into the chemistry that made Speed so special.
