Keanu Reeves to go into Hyde-ing?

Updated on May 8, 2009 By Ken Begg 10 Comments

Master thespian Reeves, star of the recent, critically acclaimed Day the Earth Stood Still remake, is looking at a modern-day updating of Robert Louis Stevenson’s venerable The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Traditionally, the tale involves a scientist who invents a serum that causes him to manifest two separate personalities, the good Jekyll and the evil Mr. Hyde. Reeves’ attachment to play Dr. Jekyll raises the possibility of an intriguing reimagining of the tale, one in which a scientist invents a serum that causes him to manifest a single personality. Presumably this latter aspect would involve Reeves and some sort of elaborate, cutting-edge computer trickery.

Universal is meanwhile working on a more traditionally gothic version of the tale. This is reportedly being shepherded by the inevitable Guillermo Del Toro, during those scant seconds when he isn’t working on one of his three hundred other projects. Presumably this version will be shuttered now, because really, who wouldn’t rather see the Keanu Reeves one?

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  • Ericb

    As another project perhaps Reeves could star in a remake of The Picture of Dorian Grey where the painting absorbs any expression of a personality.

  • I assume in this version the painting is never destroyed?

  • Reed

    Oddly, I can totally see Keanu Reeves as Dr. Jekyll. He does affability as well as any actor out there. In fact, like an Irish Setter he really only has two moods – stoic, and affable. You would have to modify the story line quite a bit from a scientist who wants to purge himself of his baser instincts. Maybe into a story where an affable goof of a scientist is constantly bested by unscrupulous peers so he decides to make himself more evil. The trick is that someone other than Reeves would have to play Mr. Hyde.

    As for Del Torro… I love his work. He tops my list of “people whom I will never meet but would really like to buy a beer and just hang out with”. He is one of the few directors whose films I actually enjoy far more after listening to his commentary and watching the “making of” featurettes than seeing the film dry. Still, his habit of attaching himself to every project that blows by on the wind is just not healthy. How’s that Hobbit prequel coming, Guillermo?

  • GalaxyJane

    I think my brain just broke.

  • Petoht

    Dammit Del Torro… quit taking on projects!

    Unless this is a ploy to make a huge pile of cash so that you can finally do At The Mountains of Madness without any studio interference.

  • fish eye no miko

    Petoht said: “Unless this is a ploy to make a huge pile of cash so that you can finally do At The Mountains of Madness without any studio interference.”

    And if that IS the case: Keep working! [cracks whip]

  • David Fullam

    One of these things is not like the other…

    Fredric March, Spencer Tracy, Keanu Reeves.

  • Don’t forget the awesome silent Barrymore Jekyll, either.

    I will say that I, too, think Reaves might possibly be able to do Jekyll – whom can certainly be played as a stuffy repressed prig. If I was doing a high-school level production of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, I would certainly entertain the idea of Reaves for the part. But only if I could get someone ELSE to play Mr. Hyde.

  • I’m with Sandy here. If you can get somebody else to play Hyde, it can work… for the most part.

    Keanu would be perfect for playing Jekyll, until you reach the end of the story, when he actually has to emote. Then… well, it *would* be painful, as it should be, but… eeg.

    Honestly, folks, I can think of any of a thousand other actors who could better pull off this role. And about the only person who’s a Hollywood ‘name’ I’d like to see *less* is Will Smith. I just hope they only made this decision because Robert Downey Jr. was busy (and that’s with 30 seconds to think about it!)

  • The fact that I think Reeves could possibly do Jekyll should not be considered an endorsement of him in the role. There are clearly thousands – perhaps millions of people better-suited for the role.

    And please, not another Robert Downey Jr. thread. Can’t we all agree that the best man for Jekyll and Hyde is Russell Crowe? He could do both parts, too, and he’s getting old enough to be e believable Jekyll.