This week we broke the news that Ed Solomon will be reuniting with Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter to finally resurrect one of the most iconic duos of the late 1980’s and early 1990’s – Bill S Preston, Esq. and Ted Theodore Logan, collectively known as The Wyld Stallyns, or simply Bill & Ted to me and you.
Although the news has been largely received with positive vibes, there are still some fans out there who think this is a bad idea. So, let’s make sure this ends up being a positive experience for everyone by ensuring the new film, which will be titled Bill & Ted Face The Music, includes something for everyone and leaves viewers feeling excellent. This can be ensured if the filmmakers follow these 6 essential points.
A DIRECTOR THAT GETS IT
According to Solomon, the director linked to Bill & Ted Face The Music is none other than Dean Parisot, the man behind cult classic comedy Galaxy Quest. This is excellent news. As well as Galaxy Quest, Parisot has been behind the camera for TV shows such as Santa Clarita Diet, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Monk, and Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency. We all know how often attached names suddenly become unattached by the time cameras start rolling, so it’s essential that whoever is chosen to direct gets the subject matter, or it simply won’t work.
TIME TRAVEL
Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure was a smash hit for many reasons, but one of the most enduring themes of the movie was the inclusion of time travel. In fact, time travel was integral to the whole story. When Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey rolled around in 1991 though, the plot was more about the titular ax men escaping Hell than it was about visiting the past in their telephone kiosk, which bummed a few viewers out. So why not make sure that no matter what the plot actually involves when it is finally revealed, there is a vibe that’s a little more Excellent and a little less Bogus.
THE SCOOBY VAN
Did you know that in the original script for Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, the time traveling kiosk was actually supposed to be a van? The idea was nixed at the last minute because it felt a little too “Scooby Dooish.” We have to be honest, we kinda like this idea. Under no circumstances must the kiosk be cut, but why can’t there be multiple means of traveling through the centuries, even if this mode of transport belongs to a secondary character?. Who knows what other time travel devices are out there?
RUFUS LIVES
Sadly, George Carlin died in 2008, so there’s exactly zero percent chance that he reprises his role as Bill and Ted’s mentor in this 3rd outing. This sucks on so many levels, especially because the Rufus character – and Carlin’s portrayal of him – were integral to the first two movies. Solomon has promised that they won’t just glaze over the character in Face The Music, and will honor the great man on-screen. We’re hopeful that this means we may get a Moff Tarkin moment ala Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which would be a nice way to include him, even if it is just for a moment.
THE FUTURE’S NOT SO BRIGHT
Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey gives us a glimpse into what’s in store for Preston and Logan years down the line. So, given that Face The Music will feature the characters as middle-aged men, then why not throw in a curveball and not have the bright future we saw prophesied in full swing. Instead, they could be middle-aged and settled into suburban life, working crappy jobs and no longer playing the music that bonded them so strongly. The timeline could be altered and the former metalheads face the predicament of fixing it to once again fix the future. In doing so they could travel across both movie timelines, once again coming face to face with their former – and younger – selves.
OR MAYBE IT IS …
Or maybe the crew could just say “Fuck it,” and set the whole thing in the funky looking, long beard sporting future we saw glimpses of in the first two movies. Either way is good. We’re easy. Just make the damn movie already!
What do you want to see in a new Bill & Ted movie? Is there even room for a 3rd installment in the franchise in 2018? Sound off in the comments section below. Don’t forget to like and share on Facebook and Twitter, and check out our Instagram too.