7 Things You Didn't Know About Point Break (The Original)

Who was supposed to play Bodhi, who was supposed to play Johnny, does Bodhi die at the end? Answer (with spoilers) here.

Point Breakthe film of Kathryn Bigelow released in 1991 in theaters and quickly becoming an action classic, will return tonight on Chérie 25. To spice up your rewatch a little, try to imagine Johnny Depp or Willem Dafoe in place of Keanu Reeves… or Michael Biehn (yes, the Kyle Reese of Terminator) surfing Bodhi!

1- Johnny Depp almost became Johnny Utah. Willem Dafoe too
Before being a project produced by James Cameron and directed by Kathryn Bigelow, Point Break almost got done with Ridley Scottwho went so far as to build most of the sets before retiring (and having them destroyed). During this period, and once the film was restarted in production, several actors auditioned for the role of Johnny Utah: Johnny Depp, Charlie Sheen, Val Kilmerand even Patrick Swayze. It is Willem Dafoe who won. The role was officially offered to him, but he refused. Faced with the stubbornness of director Kathryn Bigelow in wanting Keanu Reeves (see our secret history of Point Break), the producers eventually gave in, a decision that would make Keanu a star of action cinema in the 90s and 2000s.

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2 – Michael Biehn almost became Bodhi…
The actor Michael Biehnwho became close friends with James Cameron after he was cast as Kyle Reese in Terminatorcontinues his collaboration with the director by appearing in all his films. Naturally, Cameron, who produces Point Breakthink of him to play Bodhi, after his performance in bad guy In Abyssand a casting call is offered to him. But he refuses the role.

“It was a really big mistake I made, I would have loved to work with Kathryn”he would later admit. He had also refused for Bigelow the role played by Lance Henricksen In Near Darkarguing that the scenario made no sense. “Too bad for me, Kathryn Bigelow is truly a brilliant director”he will realize, a little late.

3 – Yes, that's Anthony Kiedis from the Red Hot Chili Peppers in the movie
He briefly appears as Tone, threatening Keanu Reeves while he's taking a shower on the beach, before getting his face kicked in. In the 1990s, Anthony Kiedisthe singer of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, sometimes made appearances in the cinema. Oddly enough, probably confused by the influence of the drugs he consumed without moderation at the time (and apparently more aware of musical trends than cinematographic ones, although his father was the actor Blackie Dammett), Kiedis disavowed his participation in the months following the release, arguing a fanciful story according to which the film had been sold to him as a descent into the world of surfers and their philosophy of life, but had absolutely not kept its promises in the end and had been nothing more than a to act brainless conservative moralist, to the glory of Patrick Swayze, Keanu Reeves and the FBI. He definitely did well to stop.

4 – The daughter of “Cradle of Love” from Billy Idol too
Shooting the same year for David Fincher and Kathryn Bigelow. This is the feat that the actress has achieved Betsy Lynn George who appears as a dancer in the video clip of Billy Idol “Cradle of Love” by David Fincher, and is a dancer in the surprise party scene of Point Break. Not bad !

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5 – Bodhi could be Johnny Castle's brother or cousin in Dirty Dancing !
When Bodhi first meets Johnny Utah on the beach, he remarks that his crappy surfboard reminds him of “an old '57 Chevy that I owned”. This is exactly the description of the car Johnny Castle (played by Patrick Swayze) drives in Dirty Dancing. The sign that he would therefore be his brother, or a close cousin?

6- Patrick Swayze jumps out of a plane in mid-air. For real. Keanu Reeves too.
The plan is insane and not very tricked. It is Patrick Swayze who says “Goodbye Friend” facing the camera before stepping back and jumping into the void of an airplane's fuselage. In one shot. No trickery. For real.

“Patrick Swayze jumped out of planes 35 timesKeanu Reeves explained two decades later. The production had to send a letter of recommendation to four actors in the film to stop. Do you know what Kathryn Bigelow did? After filming was over, she continued to film, without insurance, the shots with Patrick. I filmed some of them too, in fact. I'm the one jumping out of the airplane too. We were crazy! We did the whole thing!”.

7 – Bodhi dies at the end
The question has long plagued fans of the film: Does Bodhi die at the end, or does he survive the biggest wave he's ever dreamed of surfing? James Cameron, who co-wrote the shooting script with Bigelow, reveals in his audio commentary for Terminator 2 : Bodhi did indeed die, swallowed up by the wave. Probably the reason why there was never a Point Break 2 with the original cast…

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