Keanu Reeves in Negotiations to Join Ruben Östlund’s ‘The Entertainment System Is Down’
Keanu Reeves (59) is in talks to join the cast of acclaimed director Ruben Östlund’s (50) highly-anticipated upcoming film “The Entertainment System Is Down.”
While the exact plot and storyline are hush-hush, last year, the two-time Cannes Palme d’Or winner, Ruben Östlund, teased it as a social satire to entertainment news Variety.
“[The film] takes place on a long-haul flight. And quite soon after take-off, the crew of the flight is telling the passengers that the entertainment system is down,” he shared.
“They are now stuck on a 15 or 17-hour-long flight without any digital entertainment. They don’t have the screens that we are so used to in our contemporary world.”
He further added that it will be “a study of how human beings interact in this little laboratory that is a plane.” The movie will explore “how modern human beings are wrecked under these circumstances.” Östlund hopes that it will cause the biggest walkout in the history of Cannes.
While members of the star-studded cast are yet to be announced, Variety has confirmed that the “John Wick” franchise star will be a part of it. Östlund will also likely reteam with Woody Harrelson as the captain. There will also be several other international actors, as “these long-haul flights always have international passengers.”
The movie is expected to have a blend of drama and dark comedy, just like the director’s previous works. In fact, it’s a follow-up to his comedy/thriller Triangle of Sadness, his English-language debut which won him the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 2022. That said, The Entertainment System Is Down is expected to be his most ambitious film.
Ostlund will also co-produce the film alongside Erik Hemmendorff at Plattform Produktion, Goteborg, Sweden. Philippe Bober’s Co-production Office will — as you guessed it — touch base on co-production and will also handle the movie’s worldwide sales.
On the other hand, Reeves, also known for The Matrix franchise, has a roster full of promising releases.
One of them includes Ballerina, a spinoff to his John Wick franchise. It will star Ana de Armas as the revenge-seeking Rooney. In addition to reprising his role as the central character, Baba Yaga, Reeves will also be lending his voice to the third installment of the animated flick Sonic the Hedgehog, which is scheduled to release in December this year, alongside Luther star Idris Elba.
But that’s not all. The 59-year-old actor is also filming for a new Lionsgate film, Good Fortune, which Aziz Ansari will direct. Sources claim that they have spotted him “sporting angel wings, alongside stunt double, in rooftop filming sessions in Los Angeles.” Now, isn’t that a sight to behold?
Reeves is also a part of Jonah Hill’s black comedy film Outcome with Atsuko Okatsuka, David Spade, Kaia Gerber, Laverne Cox, Roy Wood Jr., and Susan Lucci.
Reeves, who is known for his phlegmatic disposition, is slated to have a busy but exciting year. Are you ready to see it unfurl? Because we certainly are.
