Bill and Ted’s most excellent origins have been revealed by franchise creators Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon.Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventureis now in select theaters across Europe with a brand-new 4K restoration. In addition, a new 4K Blu-ray set was just released with a ton of bonus features, including Matheson and Solomon talking about the origins of Ted “Theodore” Logan (Keanu Reeves) and Bill S. Preston, Esquire (Alex Winter). If all of that wasn’t enough, we all haveBill & Ted Face the Musiccoming out at the end of the month, after a nearly 30-year wait.
When looking back at theorigins of Bill and Ted, Chris Matheson says the duo were initially conceived during improv sessions that he and Ed Solomon would have at an empty Hollywood theater they rented out for a mere $20. They invited other comedians and they would all just riff on ideas and trade back and forth. One of the skits they came up involved three guys “sitting around trying to study, without having any idea about what they’re talking about,” says Solomon.
Chris Matheson adds, “[They were] really, reallyignorant teenage boyswho know nothing about anything, trying to talk about world affairs.” This was before the history and time traveling elements ofBill & Ted’s Excellent Adventurehad been thrown into the mix. “It had nothing to do with history at that point. It was just current events.” Ed Solomon explained that “Everything was either ‘bogus’ or ‘excellent,'” when discussing where their iconic dialogue came from. Both Matheson and Solomon seem to be having a good time looking back at the origins of their creation.
Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventurewas a hit and gave way to the sequel, 1991’sBill and Ted’s Bogus Journey. For years after the 1991 sequel, fans were asking about the potential for a third movie. Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon, along with Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter, never shot down the idea, noting that it was possible. In the past five years, talks about a third movie started to get louder and louder, with Reeves and Winter openly discussing how impressed they were with the latest draft of the story.
Now, we finally haveBill & Ted Face the Musicto look forward to. So far, there is a strong positive hype behind the long-awaited sequel, thanks to those who have been lucky enough to see an advanced screening. Director/writer Kevin Smith recently moderated the virtual panel for San Diego Comic-Con with Chris Matheson, Ed Solomon, and the rest of the main cast, where he revealed that he had seen the movie. Smith says that they were able to stick the landing, while noting that it made him cry (which really isn’t a surprise).Bill & Ted Face the Musicis in theaters and on VOD starting August 28th. In the meantime, you can head over toYahoo U.K.to see Matheson and Solomon discussing the franchise origins.
