Speed ​​director Jan De Bont talks about the 1994 action epic that put him in the spotlight

Jan de Bontthe director of the 1994 action thriller speedrecently reminisced and spoke openly about his most important blockbuster: “It is important that the concept of speed was so unique, and who the hell would want to shoot a bus movie in Los Angeles? An actor sits on the bus, but you can’t move – he can’t get off, he can’t get on?” De Bont, now retired, saw his career take off when he became a blockbuster director overnight. Thirty years later, he shares his experiences making the action giant about the bus that couldn’t stop.

In an interview with Comic Book, de Bont talks about the unique premise and Hollywood’s lack of faith in the concept. He had to sell the film’s premise since nothing like it had ever been attempted before in the industry:

“I knew how difficult it would be for a real bus to do the same route. It would be absolutely impossible. So I saw all these difficulties and thought, ‘Wow, this could be really, really exciting.’ And Paramount, who had the project before, said no to me and said, ‘Well, who wants to see a movie about a bus?'”

speed

Release date

June 9, 1994

Duration

116

Studio

20th Century Fox

slogan

Get ready for rush hour.

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De Bont also adds: “The combination of actors was perfect. Sandra Bullock was absolutely someone you could believe would ride the bus… It’s really ironic. If someone didn’t have that experience, I made sure they actually went on a lot of bus rides weeks before, where they saw how boring it can be to be on a bus, and they knew what to do and how to react to what people do on a bus. Because you can’t make it up, you have to experience it.”

Speed: A wild action ride like never before

In 1994 speedThe city of Los Angeles is dealing with a vicious terrorist (this was before terrorists in movies were mostly foreigners) who likes to blow things up. SWAT officer Jack Traven and his partner Harry Temple foil the latest ransom bomber plot and Howard Payne is presumed dead. However, Payne resurfaces in a gruesome attack that explodes a bus carrying passengers. Traven is contacted by Payne, who informs the officer that there is another bus rigged with a bomb. This is activated when it is traveling faster than 50 mph and explodes when it drops below 50 mph.

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The film was well received by critics and commercially acclaimed, grossing over $350 million for Fox on a budget of less than $40 million. Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock were not exactly unknown in the industry, but the film quickly cemented their careers. Jan de Bont’s career was boosted as the groundbreaking debut put him on the map as a potential action director. His background as a cinematographer on classics such as Die Hard, Black RainAnd The Hunt for Red October meant that his films always looked flawless. speed also won two Oscars in 1995 for Best Sound Editing and Best Sound.

Of course, Fox took advantage of the concept and produced a sequel called Level 2: Cruise controlwhich was also directed by Jan de Bont. Bullock also returned, but Reeves stayed away from the film, which ended up being a box office flop that critics savaged upon release. De Bont only made two more films after that, neither of which were particularly successful.