Bill and Ted’s time machine was right: It’s the future, and they’re still totally buds! Party on, dudes.
In the 26 years since “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure,” one star, Keanu Reeves, went on to star in billion-dollar franchise films, and one was Alex Winter.
Winter, now 49, who also played Marko in 1987’s “The Lost Boys,” has become a filmmaker. An early comedy, 1993’s “Freaked,” achieved minor cult status, and in 1999 his psychological thriller “Fever” played at the Cannes Film Festival, though neither was a hit with audiences. He also became a prolific director of TV commercials, including a spot for Ford he did in London that starred Jason Statham (playing a goofy German DJ) before he was famous.
Ford 'Club' from Trouper on Vimeo.
Now, Winter (who was born in London and maintains dual citizenship) has turned his hand to documentaries: In 2013, he directed “Downloaded,” which focused on Napster co-founder Shawn Fanning. And this year he has reteamed with Reeves for the Kickstarter-funded documentary “Deep Web,” about the eBay of drugs, Silk Road, and the guilt or innocence of its proprietor “Dread Pirate Roberts,” a k a Ross Ulbricht, who is facing the possibility of life in prison on seven drug and conspiracy convictions at his sentencing May 15.
“Deep Web” debuts on Epix on May 31.
Winter remains hopeful that he’ll reprise the role of Bill S. Preston, Esq., alongside his Wyld Stallyns bandmate Ted “Theodore” Logan for a third “Bill & Ted” movie (following 1991’s “Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey”). Chris Matheson and El Solomon, who wrote the first two features, have been working on a script.
Asked why Bill and Ted proved such a rad combo, Winter told Den of Geek, “Well, the first thing is just that we don’t know. And when I say ‘we,’ as we get together to do this third one, I mean, me and Keanu, and Chris and Ed, the two writers. We’re really the ones who feel the most ownership of these characters, and we’re really close, and we talk about this a lot. And you don’t know why something hits the zeitgeist or not. Honestly, you don’t. Nobody does.
“But I do think that there is a sincerity to the way they were written, by two really close friends; there’s a sincerity to the way they’re acted, also by two close friends . . . I mean, Keanu is basically like my brother. To this day, we’re just really close.”
Hey, it’s all about knowing you have to be excellent to each other.