Trailer
Plot summary
Jack Traven and Harry Temple are LAPD officers on the bomb squad. A bus blows up in front of Jack, and the man responsible calls to explain his demand: a second bus has been wired with a device that arms once it reaches fifty miles per hour and detonates if the speed drops below that. He wants $3.7 million in ransom and warns that no passengers may be let off. Jack boards the bus, and when a gunshot wounds the driver, a passenger, Annie Porter, takes the wheel. With the device armed, Jack and Annie keep the bus moving through heavy traffic while Harry and the police hunt for the man responsible.
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Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Speed (1994)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- De Bont revealed in a DVD commentary that the bus jump did not go as planned: on the first attempt the stunt driver missed the ramp, damaging the bus beyond repair. A second bus was prepared, and a successful jump was filmed two days later, although it traveled further than expected and destroyed one of the cameras.
- 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.
- Joss Whedon was brought in a week before filming began to rework the dialogue, transforming Jack Traven from a maverick hotshot into a more earnest and polite officer, removing forced one-liners, and creating the line "Pop quiz, hotshot."
- Stephen Baldwin was initially offered the role of Jack Traven but declined, citing the character's similarity to John McClane from Die Hard. Richard Grieco also turned down the role, later expressing regret; Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson were also considered.
- The character of Annie was originally written as an African American paramedic to justify her ability to drive the bus, and the role was first offered to Halle Berry, who declined but later expressed regret over her decision.
- During production, River Phoenix, a close friend of actor Keanu Reeves, died. In response, director Jan de Bont adjusted the shooting schedule to accommodate Reeves, giving him less demanding scenes, and noted that the loss deeply affected Reeves, making him quieter and emotionally withdrawn.
- 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.
- A 2009 episode of MythBusters tested the feasibility of the bus jump and concluded that it was impossible under real-world conditions.
