This Sunday, December 15, 6Ter is rebroadcasting the remake of “The Day the Earth Stood Still” with Keanu Reeves. The opportunity to take stock of his upcoming films, including one which is arriving very quickly.
Along with action, science fiction is the other genre that brings good luck to Keanu Reeves, even if none of his forays into this register have reached the level of Matrix, as the Wachowskis’ film has so iconized him in the twilight of the 20th century.
Nine years later, when we thought the era of Neo was over and Constantine fans were waiting for a possible sequel, the actor distinguished himself in the remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still by Scott Derrickson (future author of Sinister and director of Doctor Strange).
NOTATION
In this rereading of Robert Wise’s classic, which 6Ter is rebroadcasting this Sunday, December 15 and which brought its plot up to date, against a backdrop of climate change, Keanu Reeves lent his features to Klaatu, an extra-terrestrial whose arrival on our planet causes a wave of upheaval.
For us, it is above all an opportunity to look at the projects of the actor, absent from the big screen since the release of John Wick 4 in March 2023, but who will be back before the end of the year. And here are the films in which he is expected.
Sonic 3
Unlike SpongeBob, where his head appeared in a bunch of needles, Keanu Reeves will not be physically present in Sonic 3, expected in our theaters on December 25. Because the actor was hired to lend his voice to Shadow, the big bad guy in this new cinematic adventure of Sega’s blue hedgehog.
However, we can say that the film team took into account the identity of its original voice when animating the character, who we discover as a martial arts expert in the first trailer, because we can be a hedgehog and know kung fu. So much so that the heroes (including Knuckles, still voiced by Idris Elba) will have to ally with Robotnik (Jim Carrey) to thwart him. That’s the spirit of Christmas (or not).
Ballerina
The fight, again and again. Unsurprisingly, because Ballerina is the first spin-off of the John Wick saga and it intends to remain in the spirit of the films released since 2014. Directed by Len Wiseman (Die Hard 4), the feature film will follow the one of the Academy’s killer ballerinas interviewed in the third opus of the adventures of Keanu Reeves and led by the character of Anjelica Huston.
A young woman played by Ana de Armas, in search of revenge against the murderers of her parents, in a story whose action will take place between that of John Wick 3 and 4. Which therefore explains why Keanu Reeves will be present in a role the content of which remains to be determined (cameo? Central presence in the plot? The trailer does not hide its presence but leaves doubt), within a casting where we will also come across Ian McShane, Anjelica Huston and the late Lance Reddick, regulars in the universe, and the newcomers Norman Reedus, Gabriel Byrne and Anne Parillaud.
Great people for a film whose release was postponed for a year, in order to allow additional shots, supervised by Chad Stahelski, director of the four John Wick films. See you on June 4, 2025 in French theaters for the castagne. With or without a tutu.
Good Fortune & Outcome
Action. But also comedy for Keanu Reeves who, by chance of fate, will soon appear in two films directed by actors who have gone behind the camera: Good Fortune by Aziz Ansari and his body swap story in which an unsuccessful man inherits the luxurious life of his friend (who recovers his financial difficulties in exchange) following the intervention of a mystical force.
And Outcome by Jonah Hill in which Keanu Reeves plays Reef, a former Hollywood star who must delve into his past to face his demons and redeem himself after a mysterious video clip is extorted from him. Two comedies with meta accents which should allow him to play with his image and show that he masters self-deprecation.
Especially in Good Fortune where, if we compare the synopsis to the casting, we can expect Keanu Reeves and Seth Rogen to exchange their respective lives. Which, on paper, can only be successful. The result will normally be visible in theaters, on a date which has not yet been decided, while Outcome will be released directly on Apple TV+.
And then?
A trip to Cannes for Keanu Reeves? The actor will join Kirsten Dunst, Woody Harrelson, Joel Edgerton and Vincent Lindon in The Entertainment System is Down, Ruben Östlund’s upcoming satire that takes us on a long intercontinental flight, where passengers learn that the plane’s entertainment system is broken-down. And must reconnect with their own repressed thoughts and learn to cope with the modern torture of boredom.
Knowing the director’s pedigree, the journey promises to be as acidic as possible, and it is hard to imagine him not landing in the competition at the Cannes Film Festival. Perhaps in 2025, if the film, currently in pre-production, is shot in January, but that seems compromised.
In a completely different register, Keanu Reeves must play the main role of BRZRKR, adaptation of the comic book of the same name of which he is the co-author, and which tells the story of an immortal warrior known as Berzerker, who fights through the ages. The screenplay is in the hands of Mattson Tomlin (The Batman), but there is no director yet. And even less of a filming and release date.
Comic book still, finally, there is still talk of a Constantine 2, but the project is only in development, and does not really seem to be moving forward since it was announced. Not to mention that the possibility of a John Wick 5 still exists.
