The world was treated on Tuesday to the teaser trailer of Bill & Ted Face The Music, more than a year after the announcement that the third film in the beloved franchise was moving forward. It's been a long time (almost three decades!) since fans last saw the most excellent twosome, and the footage provides some hints about what life has been like for Bill and Ted during those years.
We discover the title characters haven't created a song that will save reality, as they were destined to do. So now, they are being called upon to make it happen. Lost for a place to start, the two friends decide they must teleport through time to steal the song from their future selves, who presumably have already accomplished this feat. As Bill puts it, "How is that stealing if we're stealing it from ourselves, dude?"
Roughly 14 seconds into the trailer, we see an open-mic night sign with the names Bill Preston and Ted Logan. So although they have kept Wyld Stallions alive, they are no longer the head-turning Bill S. Preston Esquire and Ted Theodore Logan. That could mean Wyld Stallions are past their prime and semi-retired -- something that wouldn't be too shocking, considering the time that has passed. On the other hand, this could simply be because the sign creator hadn't heard of the duo and simplified their names for convenience's sake. But that also means their legacy hasn't continued to burn bright. Either way, it doesn't bode well for the success of these two most excellent musicians, or the survival of humanity.
The trailer implies the duo are a bit down on their luck as of late and perhaps aged out of popularity with the public. As with all successful bands and artists, there comes a time when one's career success peaks. It seems like the threequel will be introducing us to the Wyld Stallions when they are on the decline and perhaps at their most vulnerable. Determined to fix things and save reality, the pair must face a darker future than they could have ever imagined.
So much so, later in the teaser, we are graced with a visual of a muscle-bound Bill and Ted rocking prison garb and shouting aggressively at what appears to be a large congregation of convicts. Bill has "Wyld Stallions" tattooed across his chest while Ted's features the word "Excellent" in bold ink. Whatever the events that led to this curious moment, Bill S. Preston Esquire and Ted Theodore Logan could still return.
As with any Bill & Ted flick, the line "Be excellent to each other" makes its way into this one, and is a perfect message for the world right now. Now all Bill and Ted have to do is write a killer rock and roll anthem to readjust the sour course humanity has taken in their timeline. Fans around the globe have waited almost thirty years for this moment, and now that it's finally here, it's time to party on, dudes.
Directed by Dean Parisot and written by Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon, Bill & Ted Face The Music stars Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, Anthony Carrigan, Kid Cudi, Brigette Lundy-Paine and Samara Weaving. The film arrives in theaters on Aug. 21.