Keanu Reeves is the Internet’s darling. He is known for his kind and nice-guy image off-screen, while he is a bonafide action star on-screen. His signature charm and extreme deviation have earned him a fanbase that will watch everything he is a part of, with many of his previous films getting sequels and reboots. One of them is the 2005 superhero film Constantine.

The Matrix star’s reputation for being a great co-star has made him a part of every Hollywood actor’s ‘to-work’ list. Recently, his Constantine co-star Rachel Weisz revealed how she got through a risky scene in the film only by trusting him.

How Did Keanu Reeves’ Constantine Become A Cult Classic?

Keanu Reeves and Rachel Weisz

The Keanu Reeves starrer Constantine first started development in the 1990s. Based on the DC Comics character created by legendary artist Alan Moore, Constantine was first supposed to star Nicolas Cage. After director Tarsem Singh, who was previously attached, left the film, Keanu Reeves was brought on board to star in the superhero horror film. It was first titled Hellblazer before being named Constantine to avoid confusion with the Hellraiser films.

The film was Hunger Games and I Am Legend director Francis Lawrence’s directorial debut. He made a few changes to the source material such as changing the setting from England to Los Angeles. The film followed the story of John Constantine, an exorcist who hunts half-angels and demons, who has a change of heart after meeting Rachel Weisz’s Angela Dodson. The film also starred Shia LaBeouf and Tilda Swinton.

Constantine gained moderate success, earning over $230 million against a $100 million budget. The film also received mixed to negative reviews, with most criticisms alluding to Keanu Reeves’ odd accent and its deviation from the source material. However, the film has since gained a cult following, especially after the cancellation of the much-loved CW series Constantine, which stars Matt Ryan. The film is also set to receive a sequel, with the director Francis Lawrence and Keanu Reeves returning.

How Did Keanu Reeves Help Rachel Weisz Get Through A Life-Threatening Scene?

Keanu Reeves and Rachel Weisz in Constantine

In the film, Keanu Reeves stars opposite Rachel Weisz’s Detective Angela Dodson. Dodson is investigating the murder of her twin sister Isabel and teams up with John Constantine. In a pivotal scene, Constantine tries to reawaken Angela’s repressed psychic abilities by inducing her into a near-death experience. The scene included drowning Weisz in a bathtub and then bringing her back afloat.

The Mummy star has since revealed that the scene was one of the scariest sequences that she had to shoot ever. The shooting for the scene took an entire day and she had to be drowned multiple times to get the right take in different angles. Talking to Tribune magazine, she said,
“It was scary, it was really scary. Keanu was holding me down by the neck, I was thrashing about in the bath, and I guess there’s a moment where you’re not acting anymore. You’re thinking, ‘I really gotta get out of this bath, otherwise I’m going to die.’”

Keanu Reeves

Her only saving grace was her incredible co-star Keanu Reeves, with whom she had a tapping signal in case things went awry. While they did have a signal, it took extreme trust from Rachel Weisz to make sure she was in safe hands, and Reeves of course was there to provide his valuable support.

Source: Slash Film