Keanu Reeves has starred in some of the most iconic films of from each decade starting from the 90s. That decade saw Reeves cement himself as the bonafide action hero with Point Break, Speed, and The Matrix. The actor continued his successful reign in the Matrix franchise with the two sequels.
However, one of the projects that did not turn out as well as he hoped was the 2008 sci-fi The Day the Earth Stood Still. The film is one project that Reeves regrets doing. In a 2017 interview, the John Wick star remarked that the failure of the film put his career at a complete standstill.
Keanu Reeves Claims He Was in Studio Jail After The Day the Earth Stood Still‘s Failure
After a string of action films and his iconic role as Neo in the three Matrix films, Keanu Reeves began experimenting with films such as Thumbsucker, A Scanner Darkly, and the superhero film Constantine. The actor returned to big-budget filmmaking with Scott Derrickson‘s The Day The Earth Stood Still.
The film had Reeves playing Klaatu, an alien in the form of a human being trying to bring a change to how humans function so that environmental degradation can be prevented. While the film was a modest success, it received overwhelmingly negative reviews and it is one of the worst films of Reeves’ career.
In an interview with Esquire, Reeves reflected on the failure of the film saying, “Sometimes I call that The Day my Career Stood Still”. The actor was dejected with how the film turned out claiming “I kind of went to Studio Movie Jail”. The film grossed $233 million against a $80 million budget (via Box Office Mojo) and received an underwhelming 21% on Rotten Tomatoes.
2008’s The Day The Earth Stood Still is significantly inferior to the original 1951 film which did a far better job at adapting Harry Bates’ Farewell to the Master. Despite the film’s failure, he continued working hard and had a resurgence with the John Wick films. The 2008 version also starred Jennifer Connelly, Jaden Smith, John Cleese, Jon Hamm, and Kathy Bates.
Keanu Reeves Gets Emotional As The Matrix Turns 25 Years
While Speed and Point Break were seminal films in Keanu Reeves‘ career, it was The Matrix that changed the game for the actor, It made him the superstar that he is today and his role as Neo arguably remains his most popular role. In an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the actor was overwhelmed as he talked about the film’s impact 25 years on.
Reeves revealed that the film changed his life and it has had a positive impact on the lives of so many people. He is grateful for all the love that he has received over the years and claims that it is the best part of his job. The Matrix star said,
The Matrix changed my life, and then over these years, it’s changed so many other people’s lives in really positive and great ways. As an artist, you hope for that when you get to do a film or tell a story. So when you say these years, the amount of people that I have met who have said to me and been touched by ‘The Matrix’ in such a positive way… It’s the best.
The Matrix franchise has been celebrated as some of the most influential sci-fi films of all time and many films/games were inspired by it. Reeves is moving on from the action genre to more comedic roles in the upcoming films Good Fortune and Outcome. He will also return as John Wick in the prequel film John Wick Presents: Ballerina.
Fans can watch The Day the Earth Stood Still on Hulu.
