Yep, A Third 'Bill And Ted' Movie Is Brewing, Says Alex Winter

How did a third Bill and Ted movie become the '80s sequel that keeps coming up? Is there that much nostalgia for the middlebrow comedies of twenty years ago? Evidently so, as Keanu Reeves said during the Toronto Film Festival, "I'd love to play the role, I'd love to work with Alex [Winter] and [writers] Chris and Ed again, and we'll see what they do."

And now Alex Winter says that there is indeed an idea in play for a third film, and that a script is underway right now.

Alex Winter told MTV,

We kicked around the idea over the years and had always thought if we could make something that was as kind of genuine in spirit as the originals and without falling prey to kind of retro cynicism or something that was unnecessary, it would be worth doing...the truth is that, yeah, we have finally hit upon an idea that we think is pretty great. We've been working on it for the past couple of years, honing that idea and getting it into shape.

So right now screenwriters Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon are working on the script, and until that gets fully hammered into shape, there won't be any further forward motion.

The aspect here I'm happy to read is that all involved are actively trying to avoid cynicism and (hopefully) irony. The first film was a surprisingly excellent comedy because it was so open and honest. It comes from the same comedic spirit as Pee-Wee Herman. A self-aware, cynical take would dispel any remaining charm.

Keanu Reeves joked at TIFF that Werner Herzog should direct the third film, and if that were to somehow come to pass (pipe dream, or nightmare, sure) I'd see it in a second. Unless the film failed to open with a dedication to the late George Carlin, who was such a wonderful addition to the original cast.