'Who Wants to See a Movie About a Bus?': Speed Director Recalls Studio Rejection

Twisters director Jan de Bont recently discussed his 1994 classic Speed, recalling studio reluctance to produce the movie because they believed no one "wanted to see a movie about a bus." Speed became a critical and commercial hit, winning two Academy Awards.

In an interview with ComicBook, de Bont spoke about the possibility of making another Speed sequel, which led the filmmaker to discuss what made the original film unique. "It is important that the concept of Speed was so unique, and who the hell would want to make a bus movie in Los Angeles? An actor sitting in the bus, but you cannot move -- they cannot get out, cannot get in?" he said. "But I thought, because I know Los Angeles, I knew how difficult it would be for an actual bus to make that same trip. It would be absolutely impossible. So I saw all those difficulties and thought, 'Wow, this could be really, really exciting.' And Paramount, who had the project early on before this, they said no to me and said, 'Well, who wants to see a movie about a bus?'"

Joe Morton in Speed

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The Speed director continued, "So they could not really see it, and then I talked to Peter Chernin at Fox, and I offered, I really acted out some of the scenes, and he got it. I said, 'Oh, wow,' and in that room, in that one meeting, he said, 'Yeah, go ahead. Go ahead.' For a budget, of course -- that was the difference, it's always for a budget." Speed starred Keanu Reeves, Dennis Hopper, Sandra Bullock, Joe Morton, and Jeff Daniels, The film revolved around a bus, rigged by an extortionist (Hopper) to explode if its speed falls below 50 miles per hour.

Jan de Bont Praised His Speed Collaborators

Jan de Bont praised the grounded performances of his Speed cast. "The combination of the actors, that was perfect. Sandra Bullock was absolutely somebody you could believe was riding a bus," he said. "That's ironic, really was. If somebody did not have that experience, I made sure that weeks before that they made many bus trips, where they saw how boring it could be sitting on the bus, and know what to do and how to respond, what people do on a bus."

Twisters 2024 casts

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Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock operate the bus in Speed 1994

The filmmaker continued, "Because you cannot make it up, you have to experience that. So it's all those things combined, and with all the elements that are in the way of the bus to really keep the speed, I could totally see that as a really amazing movie."

Twisters, the sequel to de Bont's Twister, will arrive in theaters on July 19, 2024.

Source: ComicBook

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Speed

An action thriller that follows LAPD officer Jack Traven as he tries to prevent a disaster on a city bus rigged with explosives. When the bus reaches a certain speed, a bomb is activated and will detonate if the bus slows down below 50 mph. With the help of passenger Annie Porter, Jack must navigate through traffic, keep the bus moving, and outsmart the vengeful bomber Howard Payne. The film combines high-stakes action sequences with intense suspense, showcasing a relentless race against time to save the passengers and defuse the bomb.

Director Jan de bontRelease Date June 10, 1994Cast Jeff Daniels, Sandra Bullock, Keanu Reeves, Dennis Hopper, Joe MortonWriters Graham YostRating RRuntime 116 minutesMain Genre ThrillerGenres Thriller, Action, AdventureBudget $30 millionStudio(s) 20th CenturyDistributor(s) 20th CenturySequel(s) Speed 2: Cruise Control