'Bill & Ted' director hoping to jump on threequel bandwagon
Thursday, 30 August 2007
Wild Stallyns, before life's crushing realities wore them down
Seeking to follow in the footsteps of well-received movies
like Spider-Man 3, Shrek The Third and Pirates Of The
Caribbean: At World's End, director Stephen Herek has announced plans to
make Bill & Ted's Radical Pilgrimage later this year. "I think the
time is right for us to all learn what happened to the dudes 16 years on," he
said. "Are they still married to the babes? Are the Wyld Stallyns still
together?"
Although the script is yet to be finalised, early reports
claim the film will follow the titular characters as they do battle with an
evil version of themselves from another dimension, who represent the impotence
of the lower-middle class male and the pain of lost youth.
"Bill and Ted have lost their way," explained screenwriter Ed
Solomon. "They took office jobs to pay the rent while they got the band up and
running, and somehow lost track of the ‘Be excellent to each other' ethos that will
inspire future generations. It's gonna be up to Rufus [George Carlin] to show
the boys that being middle aged doesn't mean they can't party on, dudes."
There is some controversy over the script. "We're not considering Bogus Journey to be canon,"
said Herek, who did not helm the 1991 sequel. "There are new directions we want
to take the franchise in, and characters like the Grim Reaper and Station don't
really fit that darker, grittier vision. Radical Pilgrimage will be more
about enduring friendship, thwarted ambition and excellent air guitar solos."
Hollywood insiders have reported that
Alex Winter is keen to reprise his role as Bill, but only if Keanu Reeves
agrees to be involved in the project. If Reeves chooses not to take part, the
filmmakers are considering John Cusack and Edward Norton Jr for the role of Ted.
