Neo, John Wick, and Speed's Jack Traven might be the characters that define Keanu Reeves as a movie action hero, but it was a comedy role that made him a star. Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure hit theaters in 1989, with Reeves and co-star Alex Winter playing a pair of hapless teenage metalheads who embark on a wild time-traveling adventure in an attempt to pass a high school presentation.

Excellent Adventure was a funny and imaginative movie with winning performances, and enough of a box office success to merit a sequel. 1991's Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey had a higher budget and was every bit as entertaining, with a surreal storyline that featured aliens, God, androids, and an Ingmar Bergman spoof involving the Grim Reaper. It was also accompanied by a high-profile soundtrack featuring many of the era’s big rock and metal bands. Unfortunately, the movie was not as successful as its predecessor, and a third movie didn't follow.

Until now, that is. In 2010, the first news emerged of a new Bill & Ted film, when Keanu Reeves revealed that he was still in touch with Winter and a new script was being worked on. Occasional updates appeared over the next decade, and in March 2019, Reeves and Winter officially confirmed that Bill & Ted Face the Music had been greenlit and would hit theaters in 2020. So with the release now only a few months away, here's everything we know about the third Bill & Ted movie. Party on dudes!

When will it be released?

Bill & Ted Face the Music hits theaters on August 22, 2020.

What has been revealed so far?

The trailer hasn't been released yet, but with the movie arriving in the summer, it shouldn't be too much longer before we see some footage. In the meantime, you can check out this poster.

Who's coming back?

There are several familiar faces returning for the new Bill & Ted movie. Obviously the film wouldn't exist without Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter, and they will be joined by William Sadler, who played Death in the Bogus Journey, plus Hal Landon Jr. as Ted's authoritarian dad and Amy Stoch as his stepmother Missy (“Missy, I mean, mom!”)

Who's new?

Bill & Ted Face the Music features a variety of new cast members, some playing characters we've seen before, others entirely new to the series. Bill and Ted's wives, Princess Joanna and Princess Elizabeth, are now played by Jayma Mays and Erinn Hayes--these roles have now been played by different actors in every movie. Ted's younger brother Deacon is played by SNL's Beck Bennett, while Kid Cudi will reportedly appear as himself. In terms of new characters, Bill and Ted now have adult daughters--Billie and Thea--played by Brigette Lundy-Paine and Samara Weaving. The movie's main villain will be played by Anthony Carrigan, best known as hilarious Chechen gangster NoHo Hank in HBO's Barry, and it’s been rumored that he might be playing Death’s son.

What's the story?

Although we're yet to see a trailer, we know the basic plot outline. Bill and Ted are middle-aged dads who are still rocking out as Wyld Stallions. A mysterious visitor from the future warns them they have only 78 minutes to write the song that will save the entire universe, sending them on another time-traveling mission.

Who's the Director?

Bill & Ted Face the Music is directed by Dean Parisot, who has been attached to the movie as far back as 2012. Pasirot is best known for the 1999 sci-fi comedy Galaxy Quest, as well as the Jim Carrey movie Fun with Dick and Jane and the action sequel Red 2.

Who are the writers?

One of the big reasons to be excited for the new Bill & Ted movie is that the script has been written by Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon. Matheson and Solomon created the series, and wrote the screenplay to the first movie way back in 1987, basing it on a comedy stand-up routine they had performed in college. They returned to write Bogus Journey, and have been involved with Face the Music since the very start. Solomon also wrote the 1999 hit Men in Black, while Matheson is the son of legendary sci-fi and horror author Richard Matheson.