Giant Freakin Robot

Most of the time when we hear about a sequel to a movie we loved but that happened a long time ago—like say 23 years in this case—it makes us sad and we assume that they’re going to screw up something we hold near and dear. However, one of these that we’re actually pretty stoked about, whether it happens or not, is Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure 3. The idea has been kicked around for a long time, and it sounds like they have a solid script, as well as all the important players involved (they, to be honest, seem even more excited than any of us), and star Keanu Reeves recently shed even more light on what this could look like, if it happens.

Hyping up his latest, the revenge thriller John Wick, Reeves talked about the potential for Bill & Ted 3 with Coming Soon. One of the big draws is that all of the original creative team is on board. This includes writers and creators Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon. Reeves says:

The third installment of the Bill & Ted film series has been publicly in development since the summer of 2012. Over the past year and a half, the film’s writers, Chris Matheson & Ed Solomon, have been trying to complete a script that would see Bill S. Preston, Esquire and Ted Theodore Logan in middle age. The film’s stars, Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter, are more than willing to return to the film series that made them Hollywood stars, and it appears that the script is ready, but it still needs financing.

In an interview, while promoting his new film 47 Ronan, Keanu Reeves revealed how big Bill & Ted 3‘s scale is on the page. Apparently, the third film has a lot of special effects and big creatures, and at this point, would cost too much money for any movie studio to be interested. Reeves says:

‘The script is funny and there’s a story to tell there,’ he explained. ‘[But] it needs to be adapted because right now it would cost, you know, $400 million to make. There’s a rift in the universe and there’s all sorts of creatures. [CGI], it ain’t cheap!

Is Keanu Reeves an immortal? There is a certain ineffable quality about him, a certain zen tranquility. So when someone directly asked him about his theoretical immortality, he responded in a very…well, a very “Keanu” way. “No,” he replied, “but energy cannot be created or destroyed they say.”

That was just one of many responses the actor delivered as part of an AMA — “ask me anything” — on Reddit last week. There were, as you’d likely expect, quite a few silly questions mixed with the usual generic celebrity queries (“Do you mind if people come up and say hi to you on the street?”), but he did specifically provide updates on two long-lingering projects: a live-action adaptation of the anime series Cowboy Bebop and a third installment in the beloved Bill & Ted series.

Sadly, for those of you holding out hope for a Keanu-led Bebop flick, the news is not good. Reeves said, “Cowboy Bebop does not look like it is going to happen with me in it. The script that was written was great and amazing, but it would cost like half a billion dollars to make it.” Keanu was first revealed to be attached to the Cowboy Bebop movie back in 2008, with him set to take on the lead role of Spike Spiegel. At the time it was targeting a 2011 release and had a script by Peter Craig (The Town). It had since languished in development hell, and there’s no word at the moment whether it might eventually spring back to live with different talent involved. On the upside, you’ll be able to get your Cowboy Bebop fix on Blu-ray next summer, courtesy of FUNimation.

Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter recently made a surprise appearance at this year’s Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas. They weren’t there to highlight Bill & Ted 3, however: Reeves was at the genre film festival to promote his directorial debut, Man of Tai Chi, while Winter was in Austin to support the thriller Grand Piano. Of course, the duo still offered some updates on the Bill & Ted 3 front.

In an interview with IGN, Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter still seem very excited to make Bill & Ted 3 a reality. The only obstacle that’s in their way is finding money to make the film. [Oh, is that all? – Ed.] Apparently, the script is complete, but there is still no studio backing for the project. Winter, who retired from acting in 1993 to become a writer and director, explains:

It’s the wonderful world of film development. We could be making it really soon, or we could be waiting a couple of years. Look at Dumb and Dumber, that was on and off and on and off again. Because it’s not in your hands. We’re at that point now where we’re waiting on another draft and we’re number-crunching and working on line production. It could not happen at all, honestly you just don’t know. But there’s a lot of people who want to make it happen. We have great producers, but until you’re on set, you just don’t know.

More than a year ago, Keanu Reeves revealed that a long-awaited sequel to Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey was in the works. Reeves’ co-star, Alex Winter, and the original writers, Chris Matheson & Ed Solomon, are all on-board working on a script for Bill & Ted 3. One year later and the sequel film is still in development with no signs of progress. Will Bill & Ted ever see the light from the Circle K again?

In an interview with MTV, Reeves, who played Ted “Theodore” Logan in the film series, updated fans on Bill & Ted 3‘s development and what to expect from the third installment of the franchise. Apparently, the project is currently shrouded in “darkness.” Here’s Reeves:

It’s a long story. There’s lots of subterfuge and conspiracy theories. There’s a whole thing… I might have to do one of those independent press, conspiracy, other-name kind of [statements] explaining why it hasn’t happened yet, because it’s pretty dark out there… There is [a script]. There’s all sorts of stuff and it just can’t — it’s just — there’s darkness out there that’s keeping it from happening… It’s that part of the story where it’s looking grim. It’s the dark period of the idea!

“Strange things are afoot at the Circle K.” About a year and a half ago, Alex Winter revealed that Bill & Ted 3 was in the works as screenwriters Chris Matheson & Ed Solomon already finished its script. For the next few months, details about the project emerged as Bill & Ted 3 would take place in real-time, more than 20 years after the events of Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey in 1991. Galaxy Quest director Dean Parisot was attached to direct and Keanu Reeves would reprise his role as Ted “Theodore” Logan and Alex Winter would return as Bill S. Preston Esq. The last bit of news about Bill & Ted 3 was about a year ago and we haven’t heard anything much about the project since.

As reported on IGN.com, during the TCA (Television Critics Association) press tour, Keanu Reeves, who was on the tour to promote his documentary Side By Side for PBS (It’s highly recommended and now available for streaming on Netflix Instant), shed some light on the whereabouts of Bill & Ted 3. Apparently, Bill & Ted 3 is still in development with final drafts of the screenplay being completed. Reeves added that he’s very excited about the new film.