Clips from the original Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure audition tapes have just surfaced and they're surprisingly faithful to the finished product. Featuring both Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter at the precocious age of vaguely teen, the audition runs through several scenes fans will remember from the finished film, and the material between Reeves and Winter almost feels like bizarre found footage of the actual characters themselves.
With Bill & Ted Face the Music, the upcoming third film in the series, currently looming on the near horizon, many fans are understandably thirsty for anything Bill & Ted-related they can find. So these audition videos came at just the right time. They go a long way in driving home just how perfect Reeves and Winter were (and presumably still are) for their respective roles. Though in an interesting twist, it turns out they were each auditioning for the opposite part, with Keanu Reeves trying out as Bill S. Preston, Esq. and Alex Winter taking on Ted "Theodore" Logan. By the second video, however, they were shown in the roles they would each eventually take (Keanu as Ted and Alex and Bill).
Right from the start, their chemistry is evident, as Reeves and Winter excitedly discuss (in character) their plan to recruit legendary guitarist Eddie Van Halen to their band. It feels like a return home once they share their first "excellent!" Though their signature air guitar riffs lose a bit of their punch without the audio cue. But aside from the technical aspect, there's almost a sense that these two were made for this, even if their mannerisms feel like a time capsule into another era. This is driven home further with the audition tapes featuring Reeves paired with Stand By Me's Gary Riley and Teen Wolf's Matt Adler. No disrespect to those two fine actors, but there's only one Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Speaking of being a product of its time, the humor can definitely be described as such, for better and worse. At one point, during a scene where Winter and Reeves embrace, they become flustered and pull apart before calling each other "f*g." This scene was also present in the finished film. It shouldn't need to be explained why that sort of degrading language against marginalized people doesn't fly today. However, it's important to note that this likely wasn't meant in a malicious way, as humor was vastly different only a few decades ago. But even so, it's important to be aware of harmful jokes like this one, even when they're part of a piece of beloved media. If all else fails, just remember to be excellent to each other.
But aside from that, the audition is a largely (and perhaps strangely) wholesome experience, much like the film itself. Viewers shouldn't be surprised to feel a tear welling up when they hear mention of the character Rufus, played by the late George Carlin. Or perhaps you might find yourself absent-mindedly reciting lines along with the characters. However the videos are perceived, hopefully it's a decent little snack to tide over fans until the new film is released.
Bill & Ted Face the Music is set to release on August 28th for streaming and in select theaters.