Keanu Reeves Shares Unexpected Tech Struggle While Writing His New Book

Keanu Reeves encountered a notable obstacle while working on his newest book.

In an interview published in The Sunday Times on Sunday, July 28, Reeves, 59, discussed the unexpected technological challenge he faced during the creation of his new novel, The Book of Elsewhere, co-written with award-winning author China Miéville.

“I had no idea how to use Microsoft Word,” admitted the John Wick star. Thankfully, his writing partner stepped in to help him navigate the software.

The new fiction book is a spin-off of Reeves’ BRZRKR graphic novels, which he started working on in 2021 and now spans 12 comic books.

When it came to writing his latest project, Reeves shared with The Sunday Times that he reached out to Miéville approximately three years ago about collaborating. However, Miéville needed time to finish another project first.

“He was, like, ‘Yeah, I like you, Keanu, and this idea seems intriguing,'” Reeves recounted. “‘But’ — and I found this f—ing awesome — ‘I need six more months for a different story.'”

Although Miéville humorously noted that he “didn’t quite say it in such an offhand manner,” his response didn’t deter Reeves.

“To me, it was like, ‘F— yeah,'” Reeves explained. “It felt like an artist saying, ‘I want to work with you, but I’m [busy] creating something.'”

Despite the initial delay, Miéville described the writing process as “joyful,” and the novel was completed in four drafts.

The Book of Elsewhere, released on July 23, follows an immortal warrior named B who “wants to be able to die,” according to the synopsis.

The synopsis further elaborates, “In the present day, a U.S. black-ops group has promised him they can help with that. And all he needs to do is help them in return. But when an all-too-mortal soldier comes back to life, the impossible event ultimately points towards a force even more mysterious than B himself.”

Discussing his character, Reeves said B is “seeking his humanity” and “understanding of the self”—struggles that the actor relates to in real life. “As we all know in our own lives, that’s not always so easy. And then you add immortality,” he added.

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE on July 23, Reeves spoke about the different themes explored in the novel.

“It’s a contemporary novel that deals with fantasy… how we make sense of the world through metaphor. It has something to say about love and life and grief and death and who we are and what we do, fantastical or not,” he explained.

Meanwhile, Reeves’s influential graphic novel BRZRKR is currently being adapted into a feature film and anime spin-off series by Netflix, with Reeves himself set to star as B.

The anime series aims to expand the fictional universe by “exploring different elements of the story,” according to Netflix.

Source: The Sunday Times, PEOPLE