Keanu Reeves’ appearance at E3 2019 is undoubtedly the highlight of this year’s event. The actor agreed to play the role of Johnny Silverhand in CD Projekt RED’s upcoming Cyberpunk 2077, surprising fans and developers alike.
In a recent interview with BBC Newsbeat, a tight-lipped Reeves revealed that fellow celebrities responded positively to his video game project, and that he thinks video games have had an influence on Hollywood.
“I don’t think they need legitimizing,” he replied when asked if celebrity appearances help to legitimize video games as a medium of entertainment. “If anything, I’d say it’s gone the other way. It’s more of the influence gaming’s had on [Hollywood].”
Reeves added that he thinks video game and film technologies “have been talking to each other.”
“That idea of the technology of image capture and performance, we’re seeing in Hollywood now so many performances where they’re either ageing or making other performers younger,” he continued. “The elasticity of performance and time and what you look like and who you are. It’s getting more complex.”
CD Projekt RED recently told GameSpot that the studio chose Reeves for Silverhand’s role because the actor is known for “playing strong characters that are fighting for something.” Lead Quest Designer, Paweł Sasko explained:
Let’s say, John Wick, right? There, he’s fighting for survival. Before that, you have Matrix, where he was fighting to be freed, for freedom. And before that you had Johnny Mnemonic. So all those characters were always strong characters that were fighting for something. Thing is, Johnny Silverhand is very similar because he is a fighter for something, he’s of a Samurai band. And the Samurai is this rock band, and [Johnny] is a very charismatic guy that just goes in and acts with a gun in hand.
Cyberpunk 2077 will release on April 16, 2020 for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
[Source: BBC Newsbeat via Games Industry, GameSpot]
This page contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.
