Keanu Reeves: the absurd reason why he had to shoot this film that he absolutely did not want to do

What movie gave fans the opportunity to see Keanu Reeves play a villain character. A character that the latter would have preferred to avoid playing as he confided in an interview.

An actor’s career is sometimes marked by choices: to make a film or not to make it. For Keanu Reeves, on the other hand, there is a movie he didn’t want to star in but was forced to do. It is The Watcher, a 2000 psychological thriller directed by Joe Charbanic. The plot of the film follows David Allen Griffin (played by Keanu Reeves), a serial killer who sends sarcastic letters to retired FBI agent Joel Campbell (James Spader), the man who was previously in charge of the ‘catch. The Watcher gave fans the opportunity to see Keanu Reeves play a villain character. At the time, he mostly played heroic roles, like Neo in Matrix or Jack Traven in Speed.

Keanu Reeves didn’t want to star in The Watcher

In an old interview with the newspaper Calgary SunKeanu Reeves had spoken about his experience on The Watcher and makes a shocking revelation: “I never found the scenario interesting, but a friend of mine forged my signature on the contract”he said, as later reported by the Guardian. “I couldn’t prove he did it and I didn’t want to be sued, so I had no choice but to do the movie”, he continued. Rumors had also circulated that the actor of John Wick was not happy to learn that he would be paid $1.5 million less than partner James Spader. He never commented on these speculations.

A “trivial plot” and “lackluster performance”

Despite the controversy surrounding Keanu Reeves’ role in The Watcherthe film was released in theaters on September 8, 2000. Audience reception was mixed, with some critics criticizing the film for its “trivial plot” and his “lackluster performance”. However, some critics, on the contrary, praised “the tense atmosphere and suspenseful scenes” Of the history. Result : The Watcher made a disappointing entry at the box office, grossing only $9.1 million in the United States against a reported budget of $30 million. However, the film fared better overseas, eventually grossing a total of $47.2 million worldwide.

Article written in collaboration with 6Medias