Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue
e3 2019
Keanu Reeves Is More Than A Cameo In Cyberpunk 2077
CD Projekt Red won over the E3 crowd at the Microsoft Press Conference by bringing actor Keanu Reeves on stage to announce his involvement in the project. It’s been one of the most talked about moments from the show so far. While we saw Reeves’ likeness in the game in a brief scene, we didn’t get much more on his role or the extent of it in the game. Today at E3, I was able to get more clarity on his involvement, and it’s much more than a cameo.
For starters, he actually plays a digital ghost that’s haunting your mind, appearing at your side throughout the game. “Keanu’s Johnny actually has a huge role in our game, says quest director Mateusz Tomaszkiewicz during our one-on-one interview. “This is like a supporting protagonist. He is present throughout most of the game.”
For those not in the know, the character Johnny Silverhand played a big role in Mike Pondsmith’s Cyberpunk 2020, which CD Projekt's game is inspired from. “He’s a man of conviction. He is a rocker boy, so he was a famous celebrity, but at the same time, he fights the system. He doesn’t like corporations. He stands against the oppression," Tomaszkiewicz explains.
Due to his crucial role in Pondsmith’s work, the team wanted to make sure they did the character justice. “This is one of the reasons we cast Keanu for this role because we knew we had to get this right. This is such a huge character for the setting,” Tomaszkiewicz says. “Keanu has a long history with movies, and his characters stand for something, and we felt he would be a natural pick.
Reeves is no stranger to futuristic settings, starring in movies like The Matrix and Johnny Mnemonic, which meant he also offered plenty of input during his recording sessions. “We’re very open to working with the actors and giving them space for interpretation and guidelines, and Keanu was very open to this. He had his own ideas about the character. It’s really cool to work with someone as experienced as Keanu and see the direction that he would take the character.”
Stay tuned for more coming on Cyberpunk 2077 later today.
On
On
Off
Off
Products In This Article
Cyberpunk 2077
Platform:
PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Stadia, PC
Release Date:
December 10, 2020 (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Stadia, PC),
February 15, 2022 (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S)
I’d like to ask you to support Game Informer’s continued coverage of games with a subscription. For less than two dollars per issue, we mail you a full year of 10 print magazines, each with cover stories and preview features filled with exclusive details about the most exciting upcoming games. We profile and interview game creators. We look back on the rich history of gaming, and we celebrate what’s next.
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
