Bill & Ted
Bill & Ted is an American comedy sci-fi film series featuring Bill S. Preston Esq. and Ted Theodore Logan, portrayed by Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves, respectively, two metalhead slacker friends who travel through time. The series spans three films: Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989), Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (1991), and the upcoming Bill & Ted Face the Music (2020). There have been numerous spin-offs, including an animated television series (with Winter and Reeves reprising their roles), a live-action television series in 1992, video games, and comic books. Originally produced by Orion Pictures, ownership moved to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) following the purchase of Orion in 1997.
| Bill & Ted | |
|---|---|
 DVD covers of the Bill & Ted films Excellent Adventure and Bogus Journey | |
| Directed by | Stephen Herek (Excellent Adventure) Peter Hewitt (Bogus Journey) Dean Parisot (Face the Music) |
| Produced by | Scott Kroopf (all films) Michael S. Murphey Joel Soisson (Excellent Adventure) Steven Soderbergh (Face the Music) |
| Written by | Chris Matheson Ed Solomon |
| Starring | Keanu Reeves Alex Winter |
| Music by | David Newman (Excellent Adventure & Bogus Journey) Mark Isham (Face the Music) |
Production company | Nelson Entertainment Interscope Communications Hammerstone Studios Dial 9 Dugan Entertainment TinRes Entertainment[1] |
| Distributed by | Orion Pictures (all films) United Artists Releasing Warner Bros. Pictures (3) Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (current) |
Release date | February 17, 1989 – present |
Running time | 183 minutes (2 films) |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $30 million (2 films) |
| Box office | $78.5 million (2 films) |
Premise
The series follows the pair of William "Bill" S. Preston Esq. (played by Alex Winter in the films) and Ted "Theodore" Logan (Keanu Reeves), initially two teenaged slackers living in San Dimas, California in 1988. They want to make their rock band, "Wyld Stallyns", successful but their ambitions and lackadaisical attitudes leaves them close to flunking out of high school and threatening to split the band up forever. Unknown to them, their music will form the basis of a utopian society in the future. The leaders of this society send Rufus (George Carlin) to help Bill & Ted pass school with the aid of a time machine that appears as a phone booth, to make sure they pass and assure the future. Later films focus on attempts by others to break up Bill & Ted so that their music will never lead to the utopia.
Films
Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)
Excellent Adventure introduces Bill and Ted who are trying to write a history report. Rufus, a guide from the year 2688, arrives to provide them the time machine which allows them to travel back in time and meet historical figures in order to learn about key historical events. If Bill and Ted fail to pass, their teacher will have to flunk them and Ted's father will transfer him to an Alaskan military academy, which will lead to Wyld Stallyns never forming, in turn destroying a Utopian future built around their music.
Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (1991)
In Bogus Journey, Chuck De Nomolos, a resident of the utopia, is sick of it and sends a pair of Bill & Ted robot doubles back into the past to kill Bill and Ted and make a future based on his ideals. Bill & Ted are killed, face the Grim Reaper, and manage to best him at several games, giving them the opportunity to find allies to stop their robot doubles and De Nomolos before an upcoming Battle of the Bands where they must also rescue the princesses they are engaged to and start their musical careers.
Bill & Ted Face the Music (2020)
Since 2010, there had been attempts to write a script and shop around for a third film in the series, with both Reeves and Winter involved along with Matheson and Solomon writing.[2][3] The script spent several years in preparation, as according to Solomon, they wanted to continue the series and characters properly and not make the sequel look like a simple cash-grab.[4] Negotiations at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival greenlit the film, which is slated for release on August 21, 2020.[5][6][7][8]
The film is expected to follow Bill & Ted, middle-aged adults with their own daughters, coming to realize they have yet to achieve the music that the future Utopian society will follow. Alongside Reeves and Winter returning as the titular duo, William Sadler will reprise his role as the Grim Reaper.[9] Brigette Lundy-Paine and Samara Weaving will appear as Ted's daughter Billie Logan and Bill's daughter Thea Preston, respectively.[10] Kid Cudi was also announced as a cast member for the film in an undisclosed role, which ended up being himself.[11]
Television
Animated
The first season was produced by Hanna-Barbera and ran for 13 episodes on CBS in 1990, featured the voices of Carlin, Winter and Reeves returning to their roles in the film. A second season of eight episodes ran on Fox Kids and was produced by DIC Entertainment, with none of the original cast.
Live action
A later live-action series, featuring none of the cast from the film, included Christopher Kennedy as Bill and Evan Richards as Ted (who also voiced the same roles in the animated season produced by DIC).[12] This version aired seven episodes in 1992 on Fox. William Sadler additionally reprised his role as the Grim Reaper in "The Assassin", a 1994 episode of Tales from the Crypt.
Cast and characters
| Character | Films | Television series | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure |
Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey |
Bill & Ted Face the Music |
Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventures (animated) |
Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventures (live action) | |||
| Season 1 | Season 2 | ||||||
| 1989 | 1991 | 2020 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | ||
| Bill "William" S. Preston, Esquire | Alex Winter | Alex Winter | Alex Winter | Evan Richards | |||
| William Throne (young) | |||||||
| Ted "Theodore" Logan | Keanu Reeves | Keanu Reeves | Keanu Reeves | Christopher Kennedy | |||
| Brendan Ryan (young) | |||||||
| Rufus | George Carlin | George Carlin | George Carlin (archive footage)[4] |
George Carlin | Rick Overton | ||
| Pam Grier (Ms. Wardroe disguise) | |||||||
| Missy De Nomolos (née Logan, Preston) | Amy Stoch | Lisa Wilcox | |||||
| Captain Johnathan "John" Logan | Hal Landon Jr. | Matt Landers | |||||
| Princess Joanna Preston | Kimberley Kates | Sarah Trigger | Jayma Mays[13] | Kath Soucie | |||
| Princess Elizabeth Logan | Diane Franklin | Annette Azcuy | Erinn Hayes[13] | ||||
| Mr. Preston | J. Patrick McNamara | Don Lake | |||||
| Napoleon Bonaparte | Terry Camilleri | ||||||
| Billy the Kid | Dan Shor | ||||||
| Socrates | Tony Steedman | ||||||
| Abraham Lincoln | Robert V. Barron | ||||||
| Sigmund Freud | Rod Loomis | ||||||
| Genghis Khan | Al Leong | ||||||
| Joan of Arc | Jane Wiedlin | ||||||
| Ludwig van Beethoven | Clifford David | ||||||
| Mr. Ryan | Bernie Casey | Bernie Casey | |||||
| Deacon Logan | Frazier Bain | Beck Bennett | Danny Cooksey | ||||
| Death The Grim Reaper |
William Sadler | ||||||
| Evil Bill "William S. Preston Esquire | Alex Winter | ||||||
| Evil Ted "Theodore" Logan | Keanu Reeves | ||||||
| Station | Ed Gale & Gil Arturo | ||||||
| Tom Allard (big suit actor) | |||||||
| Frank Welker (voice) | |||||||
| Tony Cox (stunt double; uncredited) | |||||||
| Chuck De Nomolos | Joss Ackland | ||||||
| Colonel Oats | Chelcie Ross | ||||||
| Albert Einstein | John Ehrin | Arte Johnson | |||||
| Thomas Edison | Hal Landon Sr. | Brian Cummings | |||||
| Theodora "Thea" Preston[14] | Candace Mead[15] (uncredited) |
Samara Weaving | |||||
| Wilhelmina "Billie" Logan[14] | Lauren Mead[15] (uncredited) |
Brigette Lundy-Paine | |||||
| The Great Leader | Holland Taylor | ||||||
| Kelly | Kristen Schaal | ||||||
| Kid Cudi | Himself | ||||||
| Mary Jane | Tara Charendoff | ||||||
| Mr. Keilson | Danny Breen | ||||||
- Note: A gray cell indicates character did not appear in that medium.
Crew
| Occupation | Films | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure | Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey | Bill & Ted Face the Music | |
| Director(s) | Stephen Herek | Pete Hewitt | Dean Parisot |
| Producer(s) | Scott Kroopf Michael S. Murphey Joel Soisson |
Scott Kroopf | Scott Kroopf Steven Soderbergh |
| Writer(s) | Chris Matheson Ed Solomon | ||
| Composer(s) | David Newman | Mark Isham | |
| Editor(s) | Timothy Suhrstedt | David Finfer | Don Zimmerman |
| Cinematographer(s) | Oliver Wood | Shelly Johnson | |
Comics
DC Comics produced a tie-in comic following the plot of the first movie timed to coincide with that film's release on home video.[16] The sequel was adapted by DC's competitor Marvel Comics, published to coincide with the second film's release in theaters. Its popularity led to the ongoing Marvel series Bill & Ted's Excellent Comic Book by Evan Dorkin, which lasted for 12 issues.[17]
There was a weekly 2/4 page semi-adaptation of the animated series published for a year by UK's defunct Look-In Magazine from 1991 to 1992.[18]
In 2015, Boom! Comics revived the franchise in comic form with Bill & Ted's Most Triumphant Return.[19] That success of that miniseries led to two additional miniseries.[20][21]
Cereal
A cereal based on the animated series adaptation. It was made by the defunct Ralston Purina. It was short-lived, like the cartoon and it included many giveaways and promotions.
Musical
A musical based on the film was produced in 1998 called Bill and Ted's Excellent Musical Adventure.[22]
Video games
There were also Game Boy, NES and Atari Lynx games released, which were very loosely based on the film's plot. A PC title and nearly identical Amiga and Commodore 64 port were made in 1991 by Off the Wall Productions and IntraCorp, Inc. under contract by Capstone Software and followed the original film very closely.
Home computer
A single player graphic adventure PC game based on the 1989 film Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. It was released by Capstone for DOS, Commodore 64, and Amiga systems in 1990.
Game Boy
An action-puzzle game loosely based on Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure.
Atari Lynx
A video game for the Atari Lynx handheld based on the Bill & Ted films and the Saturday morning cartoon.
NES
An action-adventure video game based on Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure that was released in North America by LJN for the Nintendo Entertainment System.
Mobile
Wyld Stallyns is an action-RPG video game based on the Bill & Ted universe was released by Built Games in 2018 for iOS and Android devices.
Halloween Horror Nights
Bill & Ted also featured in an annual live-action show at Universal Studios Florida and Universal Studios Hollywood during Halloween Horror Nights. Typically the show parodied the past year's worth of notable pop culture events, featuring locally cast performers as the title characters.
In 2013, the Universal Studios Hollywood Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure show was cancelled following allegations by Jamie Lee Curtis Taete from Vice of homophobia and racism in that year's show.[23][24][25][26][27] The show continued at Universal Studios Florida, until 2017.[28]
References
- Alex Ritman (May 13, 2019). "Cannes: Warner Bros., MGM Take 'Bill & Ted 3' for International Markets (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
- "Reeve talks new 'Bill and Ted' adventure". Yahoo!. Archived from the original on September 23, 2010.
- Matt Clark (September 25, 2010). "'Bill and Ted 3' Movie Sequel Confirmed". Entertainment. Gather Inc. Archived from the original on September 29, 2010. Retrieved February 11, 2011.
- Jeffery, Morgan (January 24, 2018). "Bill & Ted writer reveals how the planned third film will pay tribute to George Carlin's Rufus". Digital Spy. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
- Ritman, Alex (May 8, 2018). "'Bill & Ted Face the Music' is actually happening, some 29 years after the duo's first excellent adventure". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
- Wiseman, Andreas (May 8, 2018). "Keanu Reeves & Alex Winter Confirmed For Threequel 'Bill & Ted Face The Music'; Bloom On Sales, MGM Has U.S. — Cannes". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
- Witman, Alex (May 13, 2019). "Cannes: Warner Bros., MGM Take 'Bill & Ted 3' for International Markets". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 2, 2019.
- Hayner, Chris (March 20, 2019). "Bill And Ted 3 Will Finally Face The Music As Sequel Gets Release Date". GameSpot. Retrieved March 20, 2019.
- Welk, Brian (March 25, 2019). "William Sadler to Return as Grim Reaper in 'Bill & Ted Face the Music'". The Wrap. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
- Couch, Aaron (June 5, 2019). "'Bill & Ted 3' Finds Daughters for 'Face the Music'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
- D'Alessandro, Anthony (June 13, 2019). "'Bill & Ted Face The Music' Grooves With Grammy Winner Kid Cudi". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
- Herbert, Steven (June 28, 1992). "Bill and Ted Make It to Prime Time, City Doesn't". LA Times. Retrieved August 22, 2010.
- "'Bill & Ted Face the Music': Jayma Mays & Erinn Hayes Cast In Key Roles". Deadline.com. June 27, 2019. Retrieved June 28, 2019.
- "Exclusive: 'Bill & Ted 3' Co-Writer Ed Solomon on the Story, New Characters, and More". Collider.com. May 10, 2018. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
- Solomon, Ed [@ed_solomon] (June 15, 2019). "The actors who played Little Bill and Little Ted in Bogus Journey were named Candace and Lauren Mead" (Tweet). Retrieved June 16, 2019 – via Twitter.
- "Bill & Ted's Excellent Online Adventure - Collectibles - Books, Comics & Trading Cards - Excellent Adventure Comic Book". www.billandted.org. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
- "Bill & Ted's Excellent Online Adventure - The Comics - Marvel Comics - Issues". www.billandted.org. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
- "Bill & Ted's Excellent Online Adventure - The Comics - Look In! - Overview". www.billandted.org. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
- https://www.mycomicshop.com/search?TID=35934875
- https://www.mycomicshop.com/search?TID=43247324
- https://www.mycomicshop.com/search?TID=47842733
- "Bill & Ted's Excellent Online Adventure - The Musical - Overview".
- Taete, Jamie Lee Curtis (October 17, 2013). "The Bill and Ted Show at Universal Studios Is Super Homophobic (and Also Racist and Terrible)". VICE. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
- "Bill & Ted's Show". Halloween Horror Nights. Universal Studios Hollywood. October 31, 2013. Archived from the original on October 31, 2013.
- Taete, Jamie Lee Curtis (October 23, 2013). "Universal Studios Canceled Their Homophobic/Racist/Terrible Bill and Ted Show". VICE. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
- Nichols, James (October 24, 2013). "Do You Think Universal Studios Should Have Canceled This Controversial Halloween Show?". The Huffington Post. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
- Child, Ben (October 24, 2013). "Bill and Ted Halloween show cancelled over 'gay Superman' complaints". The Guardian. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
- Bevil, Dewayne (September 20, 2017). "Universal: Why it's farewell for 'Bill & Ted'". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved January 3, 2018.
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