Collide (EN/US)

Telling a love story

It all started when Warner Bros. received a script specially created to bring Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves back to the screen.

Keanu was at an incredible time in his career with John Wick and Sandra had returned to making successful romcoms. The time to have them together was now and the perfect director to make that happen could be none other than Alejandro Agresti.

And that's how the producer got in touch with him, presenting a love and action story that would have innovative possibilities of special effects.

Alejandro had beautifully directed "The Lake House" and knew how to make a love story, but the script this time was not a romantic drama, but an action film about two police officers who meet again 22 years later and need deal with feelings from the past while solving a crime. It would be a challenge, but he was excited about all the possibilities in the story.

Days after receiving the script, he called Sandra with a proposal for an innovative and exciting film and she immediately make an appoitment to talk with him.

When they met, she had already read the script and arrived at the restaurant smiling.

"I know exactly who do you want to play Edward," she told him, after hugging and sitting down.

"What do you think?" Alejandro asked, already knowing what her answer would be.

"Interesting," she replied as she ordered a water and hung her bag on the chair. "Have you talked to him yet? I don't know if he's going to have time in his schedule with the John Wick and The Matrix sequels. Would he like to make a movie like that?" she asked all at once a little anxiously.

Since she read the story, she could only think of him as Edward and feared not accepting the role if it were another actor.

Alejandro smiled and said he would explain everything after lunch and as soon as dessert arrived, he told a little more about the film crew, where and when would happening the shootings and talked about the technology they would use in the flashback scenes, confirming that he was already on the project.

Sandra was so excited that she said she would do it anyway and that negotiations should be made between the producer and her staff, as she did not intend to sign any other contract besides this one for the next semester.

If negotiations between her and Keanu ended on schedule, they would start recording in early June.

"Do you ask him to call me when he finishes negotiations?" Sandra asked Alejandro when they were leaving.

"Sure." he smiled "Let's meet next week!"

The production hosted an evening reception with an Italian dinner for the entire crew the night before shooting began.

Part of the cast had already arrived but Keanu was returning from Ireland that day and Sandra decided to stay a little bit more at home with her children, as they would spend the next 6 weeks without seeing each other. The recordings would be in New York and the entire team would be hosted there.

Her relationship with Bryan had ended a few months ago, but she'd learned to feel good alone and her heart was at ease. Work always made her happy and making a new movie with such an amazing crew was what she wanted most at that moment.

As she packed her suitcase, she thought about how good she felt to make characters deep and open to love with Keanu. It was safe and delicious to work with him and she loved feeling that adrenaline rush of the unexpected. It had been so many years since they reunion on set that she couldn't wait to make a third movie together.

Meanwhile, Keanu was sitting in his seat on the last flight to New York. He was single too, no one knew for sure what had happened in his last relationship, but he preferred to be single when seeing women get more involved in the relationship than he was. Sometimes he thought he would never be able to open up to a relationship.

The recording of John Wick's sequence in Dublin had ended a month ago and he decided to spend his vacation there. His flight would arrive in New York in at least 1 hour and he would go straight to the set.

At the location, their trailers were parked side by side, with scripts, schedules, and a training agenda. They would be staying at a hotel nearby but would take a immersion for the first few days and would sleep in their trailers.

As soon as she arrived, Sandra organized a few things and take a look at the next day's schedule of rehearsals for the first scenes. When she was done, she went with the production team to dinner and found Alejandro with his photography direction team, some costume designers and actors and met Sarah Clark, who would play two great characters in this story.

She was a streaming show actress and this would be her first movie, she was 28 years old but looked a lot younger, which was very important since her two characters would be 23 years old.

She would play Nina, daughter of Keanu and also Milla, mother of Nina and best friend of Edward and Alexis, appearing during the flashback scenes.

Sarah had a fair face, green eyes and long dark blond hair and that would be Nina's look. For Milla's scenes, she would wear blue contact lenses and a short, wavy platinum lace, which made her character look sexier.

She approached Sandra who she's always been a big fan of with shining eyes and than they sat together at one of the tables for dinner.

"I can't believe I'm going to do this movie with you guys" she told her a little shy and very nervous. "I call my boyfriend all the time to tell him what I'm living here for. His name is Tom and he's been working in London until the end of football season, so our communication has been only by facetime." she smiled "We thought about which met would make me the most nervous and he said if it was him in my place it would be Keanu."

Tom was a huge Matrix fan and was completely excited to hear that Sarah would have the opportunity to work with Keanu.

Sandra laughed. "I have no doubts." She knew Keanu had a giant effect on men and women.

"To me, I think it was you." Nina replied a little shyly. "Look, I don't stop talking." she laughed as she looked at Sandra with genuine admiration.

"I can see that we will get along really well precisely because of this characteristic." Sandra replied smiling at her. "But I get the feeling your boyfriend was right. It's almost impossible not to be nervous around Keanu" she winked at her and pointed to the hall entrance when she saw him arrive.

Keanu gave Alejandro a hug and within minutes the entire team was there to greet him. He was always very nice to everyone and because most of the team had shooting with him before, there was a great excitement with his arrival.

Sandra was the last to speak with him, after introducing Sarah who went to her trailer after a brief conversation with Keanu, still quite nervous but very delighted.

Once they were alone, Sandra asked him about John Wick's shooting and his expectations for Edward Waldorf. They had read the script together in an online meeting, but talking with him in person made everything feels different. Keanu was always excited about his characters and was very pleased with Edward's story.

He asked about her and the kids and said he was excited about the opportunity to work together again.

He had already fed and was too tired to be there, but he listened carefully to Sandra's every word. She loved talking to him because she always got the feeling he was there, present, always interested in hearing anything she had to say.

Keanu was kind, polite and really smiled with her jokes.

After spending some time talking, they headed towards their trailers.

When they arrived, they said goodbye and agreed to go out together for breakfast.

"We have makeup at 8:00, right? I'll come pick you up." He smiled and she nodded.

For a moment Keanu didn't know if he should kiss her cheek goodnight or just hug, so he held back his instincts and preferred only to hug.
When he entered his trailer, he was thoughtful. It was always natural to smile beside her and she managed, without much effort, to brighten his day. There was something very strong about her that he couldn't explain.

In the trailer next door, Sandra closed the door and sat on her bed, feeling a mixture of sensation and a little fear.

Being by his side made her travel back in time and all the memories of over 25 years continued to mess with  her.