Speedstars Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock reflect on filming the movie’s bus action sequences 30 years later, revealing that they got a little too real at times. Released in 1994,Speedis directed by Jan de Bont, with Reeves starring as Jack Traven, a police officer attempting to save passengers on a bus that will blow up if it goes below 50 mph. The film, which stars Bullock as Annie, a passenger who takes on driving duties, was a hit, with the high concept premise and tense bus action scenes earning it positive reviews from critics and audiences.
During a recent panel at Beyond Fest 2024 in celebration ofSpeed’s 30th anniversary, moderated byIndieWire, both Reeves and Bullock recall being “under-informed” about just what would happen during the film’s bus action scenes. Reeves reveals that the bus started “actually hitting cars” as it barreled down the street, eliciting a strong response from the passengers on-board:
“Don’t you remember that day on the bus, though? When we were crashing through all the cars on the street? I remember we were a little under-informed. We were all on the bus and then we were driving down by San Diego or something. We were set by the ocean, and all of a sudden, we’re actually hitting cars. Boom! Boom! Everyone on their bus lost their mind. People were screaming.”
Bullock didn’t do any on-camera driving in the film (though she did get her bus driver’s license), but she recalls the actual driver on the roof careening the vehicle into various things as it went down the street:
“The fun part was that I was at the helm of the bus, but in the back, there was someone driving along the roof. Someone was driving, and I was being careened into whatever [director] Jan [de Bont] felt I needed to smash into. But never, never [was I actually driving]. I did get my Santa Monica bus driver’s license. I did! It’s not an easy vehicle to maneuver.”
What Speed’s Action Sequences Mean For The Movie’s Legacy
The Film Remains A Reeves Action Classic
Up there withThe Matrixand theJohn Wickfranchise,Speedremains one ofReeves' most iconic action movies. The film’s premise is easy to grasp in one sentence, and the action was thrilling. Reviews forSpeedwere overwhelmingly positive at the time of the film’s release, and it currently has an impressive score of 95% onRotten Tomatoes. Made on an estimated budget of $30 million, the film was also a box office hit, grossing $350 million worldwide.
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Filmed before CGI became more commonplace in action films,Speed’s action sequences were largely accomplished practically. 11 buses were used in total throughout filming, speaking to just how much damage vehicles took during filming. Plus, both Reeves and Bullock not being totally prepared for whatSpeed’s action sequences would look like evidently resulted in some strong reaction shots.The panic and the tension inside the bus feels real, and it’s now clear that this is because there may not have been clear communication regarding where the bus would go and what it would hit.
Reeves did not return forSpeed 2: Cruise Control(1997), but Bullock did. The film was a critical and commercial bomb.
Our Take On Speed’s Action Sequences
Why They Still Work So Well 30 Years Later
This sense of chaos that Reeves describes made its way onto the screen inSpeed. Though, for safety,a film today would probably have laid out such scenes more clearly to actors, it evidently all worked out for the 1994 action classic. The action sequences in the film wouldn’t be nearly as captivating, however, if it weren’t forReeves and Bullock and their on-screen chemistry. Action may be the main draw ofSpeed, but it’s the human element that anchors it and makes characters like Jack and Annie worth rooting for.
Speed
Cast
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.
