The turning point in Reeves’ career was his participation in the action movie, Speed (1994). The movie became a hit and brought its creators $350 million with a budget of $30 million, 2 Oscars, and critical acclaim.

Despite his success in the first film, Reeves refused to participate in Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997) as not to miss the chance to play Hamlet in a Canadian theater for a payment of less than $2,000 per week. He did this even though his participation in the movie would earn him about $12 million.