Speed is a 1994 American action thriller film directed by Jan de Bont in his feature directorial debut, and written by Graham Yost. Keanu Reeves, Dennis Hopper, and Sandra Bullock star in the film, with Joe Morton and Jeff Daniels in supporting roles. The plot centers on a city bus rigged by Howard Payne (Hopper), an ex-cop turned vengeful extortionist, to explode if its speed drops below 50 miles per hour (80 km/h). Reeves plays LAPD officer Jack Traven, who is tasked with preventing the disaster, with Bullock portraying a passenger who becomes unexpectedly involved in the mission.
Inspired largely by Runaway Train (1985) and the Japanese language action thriller film The Bullet Train (1975), Speed premiered on June 7, 1994, and was released on June 10, 1994, by 20th Century Fox. The film received positive reviews from critics and grossed roughly $350 million worldwide against a $30–37 million budget, becoming the fifth-highest-grossing film of 1994. At the 67th Academy Awards, Speed won Best Sound. The film also won Best Sound and Best Editing at the 48th British Academy Film Awards.
A sequel, Speed 2: Cruise Control, was released on June 13, 1997, but achieved the opposite of its predecessor, performing poorly and being widely lambasted by critics for Reeves's absence and the film's change in setting.
Plot
LAPD SWAT bomb disposal officers Jack Traven and Harry Temple are tasked with preventing a bombing on a city elevator containing 13 people. After narrowly rescuing the passengers, the duo find and confront the bomber, during which Harry is shot by Jack after he is taken hostage. The bomber seemingly blows himself up, and Jack and Harry are later commended in a ceremony for their bravery. Some time later a city bus explodes in front of Jack in order to get his attention. It is revealed that the bomber from the elevator incident had survived. He is looking to get his revenge on Jack by planting another bomb on a second city bus full of passengers that will activate upon reaching 50 mph (80 km/h), and will detonate if the speed goes below 50. He warns Jack not to offload passengers or the bus will explode as he demands $3.7 million in ransom.
Racing through traffic, Jack commandeers a car to try to warn the bus driver of the bomb. Realizing the bus has surpassed 50 mph and the bomb is armed, Jack boards the bus, but a street thug, thinking that Jack is after him, pulls out a gun and threatens Jack. The thug's gun goes off as Jack and another passenger subdue him, with the bullet hitting the driver. Another passenger, Annie Porter, takes over driving. With the bomb armed and passengers aware of the threat, Jack contacts Harry for help while trying to keep the bus moving. The bomber agrees to allow the wounded driver to be offloaded as a sign of good faith. However, another passenger, Helen, panics and attempts to get off the bus, but the bomber, watching the bus on television news, detonates a smaller bomb that kills her as she falls under the bus.
Despite the bomber's constant surveillance, Jack and Annie maneuver the bus through several dangerous obstacles, including a gap in the freeway, and direct it to the runways of Los Angeles International Airport to avoid traffic congestion. In an effort to defuse the bomb, Jack goes under the bus on a tethered roller bed, but the cable snaps. He is helped onboard by the passengers. In the process, he punctures the fuel tank and the bus starts leaking gasoline.
Meanwhile, Harry identifies the bomber as former Atlanta Police Department bomb squad officer, Howard Payne, who was forcibly retired after an accident. The bomb's design reflects his long-lasting bitterness over being compensated with nothing but a "cheap gold watch". Harry leads a SWAT team to Payne's house to arrest him. During the raid, Harry inadvertently triggers a booby trap that blows up the house, killing him and the rest of the team. Jack admits defeat until he notices that Payne is monitoring the bus interior with a hidden surveillance camera. With the help of a television crew, the LAPD tamper with Payne's surveillance footage. This gives Jack enough time to help the passengers escape before the bus crashes into a cargo plane and explodes. While noticing the LAPD has dropped off the ransom and is waiting to apprehend him, Payne sees the tampered video feed and seeks revenge.
The SWAT team are waiting for Payne to appear, but Payne kidnaps Annie while impersonating a police officer. Jack discovers a hole under the trash can, where Payne has taken the ransom and accessed the subway system. Jack finds Annie wearing an explosive vest and Payne holding a pressure release detonator; after a confrontation between Payne and Jack, Payne escapes on a train with Annie handcuffed around a pole. Payne shoots the driver and train controls. He opens the duffel bag containing the money and a dye pack explodes in his face. An enraged Payne fights Jack on the train roof, only to be decapitated by a passing overhead signal when Jack pushes him to the roof of the tunnel. Jack deactivates Annie's vest, but finds that the train cannot be stopped and that he is unable to free Annie from her handcuffs. Jack instead accelerates the train, causing it to derail and crash onto Hollywood Boulevard, screeching to a halt in front of a tour van. Jack and Annie emerge unscathed and share a kiss as onlookers watch in amazement.
Cast
Production
Writing Screenwriter Graham Yost was inspired to write Speed after hearing about the 1985 film Runaway Train from his father, Canadian television host Elwy Yost. Elwy mistakenly believed the train's out-of-control situation was caused by a bomb, leading Graham to think that such a concept would work better on a bus. He initially envisioned a bomb that would detonate if the bus dropped below 20 mph, but a friend suggested raising the speed limit to 50 mph.Empire - Special Collectors' Edition - The Greatest Action Movies Ever (published in 2001) The film's ending was inspired by the 1976 film Silver Streak. Originally titled Minimum Speed, Yost renamed it Speed to avoid negative connotations associated with "minimum".
Yost's initial draft had the entire film set on the bus, with no elevator or subway sequences. The bus was meant to drive around Dodger Stadium and ultimately crash into the Hollywood Sign. After finishing the script, Yost presented it to Paramount Pictures, which showed interest and suggested John McTiernan to direct. However, McTiernan declined, feeling the script was too similar to Die Hard (1988), and recommended Jan de Bont instead. De Bont, who had been the director of photography for action films like Die Hard and The Hunt for Red October (1990), agreed to direct. Michael Bay had also expressed interest in directing.
Paramount ultimately passed on the project, believing audiences would not want to watch a film set almost entirely on a bus. Yost and de Bont then pitched the film to 20th Century Fox, who agreed to green-light the project but requested additional action sequences beyond the bus. De Bont suggested starting the movie with a bomb on an elevator, drawing from his own experience of being trapped in an elevator while working on Die Hard. Yost used this opening to establish the cleverness of LAPD SWAT officer Jack Traven, inspired by Perseus' deception with Medusa. De Bont also suggested concluding the film with a subway sequence to provide a final twist, which Fox approved.
Joss Whedon was brought in a week before filming began to rework the dialogue and improve the script. Whedon made significant contributions, including transforming Jack Traven's character from a maverick hotshot into a more earnest and polite officer, removing forced one-liners, and creating the iconic line, "Pop quiz, hotshot." Whedon also reworked minor characters, such as turning Doug Stephens (Alan Ruck) from an unpleasant lawyer into a hapless tourist. Additionally, the character of Harry Temple was originally intended to be the film's villain, but once Dennis Hopper was cast as Howard Payne, this role was adjusted, and Temple's character remained non-complicit.
According to one film studies professor, the main characters solve every major problem in Speed the same way ("acceleration"), while the story is "unified through the development of motifs and repetitions, like Jack's decision to 'shoot the hostage,' or the theme of speeding transportation."
Casting When Speed was under development at Paramount Pictures, Jeff Speakman was originally attached to star in the lead role. However, after the project was acquired by 20th Century Fox, Speakman was dropped. Stephen Baldwin was initially offered the role of Jack Traven but declined, citing the character's similarity to John McClane from Die Hard (1988). Richard Grieco also turned down the role, later expressing regret over his decision. Other actors considered for the part included Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, Wesley Snipes, and Woody Harrelson. Director Jan de Bont ultimately cast Keanu Reeves after seeing his performance in Point Break (1991), believing that Reeves projected a balance of vulnerability and strength. Reeves underwent physical training and cut his hair short for the role, a decision that initially concerned the studio. He also starred in River's Edge (1986) with Hopper.
The character of Annie was originally written as an African American paramedic to justify her ability to drive the bus. The role was first offered to Halle Berry, who declined, but later expressed regret over her decision. As the character evolved into a comic relief sidekick, Ellen DeGeneres was considered for the part. Eventually, the role was rewritten as a love interest for Jack Traven, leading to the casting of Sandra Bullock. Bullock auditioned alongside Reeves to ensure their on-screen chemistry, which involved performing physically demanding scenes. Meryl Streep, Kim Basinger, and Anne Heche were also offered or considered for the role but declined.
Filming
Principal photography for Speed commenced on September 7, 1993, and concluded on December 23, 1993, in Los Angeles. Director Jan de Bont used an 80-foot model of a 50-story elevator shaft for the film's opening sequence. During production, River Phoenix, a close friend of actor Keanu Reeves, died. In response, de Bont adjusted the shooting schedule to accommodate Reeves, giving him less demanding scenes. De Bont noted that the loss deeply affected Reeves, making him quieter and emotionally withdrawn. Initially hesitant about the film's action sequences, Reeves expressed to de Bont, "I'm not an action hero. I don't like it. I don't know how to do it," which de Bont saw as an advantage, believing it paralleled Reeves' character, who was thrust into an extraordinary situation. As production progressed, Reeves became more involved with his stunts, even secretly rehearsing the Jaguar-to-bus jump, which he later performed himself, against de Bont's disapproval.
The production used eleven GM New Look buses (TDH-5303) and three Grumman 870 buses. Two of these buses were destroyed in explosions, while others were adapted for specific scenes, including high-speed sequences, interior shots, and "under bus" scenes. The film's fictionalized bus route, "33 Downtown", was modeled after the real-life Big Blue Bus serving Santa Monica. One of the buses used in the film was auctioned for $102,000 in 2018.