Merrick here...


In some elusive past I can't seem to access with search engines, we heard rumblings that Fox wanted to drag the SPEED franchise out of retirement;. Do two films constitute a "franchise"?.

It was generally assumed this would be accomplished via re-imaginings, remakes, and so forth - 'cause that's pretty much the way stuff like this shakes out these days.

However, an AICN reader sent us a brief message (adequately contextualizing how he came across the following information), offering a tantalizing clue as to how Fox wants to get up to SPEED again. And...it may NOT be a remake?

I should probably give said informant a code name, but I'm too frickin' tired to think of one at the moment. Sorry about that...nothing personal.

Here's what his message said:

There's a scriptment floating around that reintroduces Jack Traven. So the studios are hoping to get Keanu back on board.

For those who've forgotten (or never cared enough to remember), the "Jack Traven" character originated by Keanu in the first film did not appear in SPEED 2; Reeves was replaced by the relentlessly bland Jason Patric (starring in a new role).

While it's impossible to quantify the boneheaded lameness advanced by SPEED 2, I've always had a soft spot in my heart for the first film. Do I want to see another SPEED? Not really. But I hope they use the original movie as a stylistic/tonal template if this moves forward.

I'm seeing a pattern here: Keanu as Klatu in Fox's DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL remake. Keanu (theoretically) returning as Jack Traven for SPEED. And now Fox is talking about a new APES film? Keanu as CAESAR? You know it...

This is just a thought/suspicion...nothing more. That I know of, at least.