‘Bill And Ted 3’ Script Resurrects William Sadler’s Death
Death becomesBill and Ted 3— but not in the way you expect. No, the movie is still alive and kickin' and in development for now, though that much can’t be said for a certainBill and Tedcharacter set to return to the sequel. That’s right, it’sWilliam Sadleras Death.
Bill and TedscreenwriterEd Solomonhas been steadily beating the drum for theBill and Tedsequel, now titledBill and Ted Face the Music. That includes teasing out details from hisBill and Ted 3script and appealing to formerBill and Tedactors on Twitter to potentially return for the third film. And it looks like Sadler is more than game.After taking a trip down memory lane with the originalBill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Ed Solomon has set his sights on the future. Which means it’s time to get that long-gestatingBill and Ted 3off the ground. The film has been talked about by its creators and actors Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves for nearly 10 years, but with a title nailed down and a script in the works, it seems likeBill and Ted Face the Musiccould finally, well, face the music.
Solomon has been diligently working on theBill and Ted 3script, tweeting out new details all the while. One tidbit: the return of William Sadler’s Death, who first appeared in 1991’sBill and Ted’s Bogus Journey.
“Bill CRUSHED it as Death. And we laughed a lot writing him in [Bill and Ted 3] so let’s hope it’s something that happens,” Solomonwrote on Twitter. But that may be more than just a pipe dream — it seems like Sadler is already dressed and out the door to reprise the role.
Have scythe, will travel.
— William Sadler (@Wm_Sadler)August 18, 2025
Bill and Ted met death in theBill and Tedsequel,Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey, which followed the two metalheads as they’re killed by evil robots and are challenged to a game of chess with Death that will return them to the mortal world. It’s a satirical send-up of Ingmar Bergman’sSeventh Seal, right down to the ghastly costume design of Death and the life-or-death chess match. But you know, with pure-hearted idiots instead of a medieval knight.
What is Bill and Ted 3 About?
WillBill and Ted Face the Musichave the pair wrestling with their own mortality again? That could very well be possible, with Solomon’s preliminary script following the pair as middle-aged family men who have long given up their passion for music. Solomon toldDigital Spy:
“We have a script that we really are proud of, that we worked very hard on, that we’ve done many iterations of – and we did it on spec, meaning we spent years working on it because we wanted to get it right, creatively.
This is not, ‘Hey let’s all cash-in on theBill & Tedthing for money’ – this is the opposite. This is, ‘We love these characters, they’ve been with us for our whole lives’ – Chris and me, and Alex and Keanu – and we wanted to visit them again as middle-aged men. We thought it would be really fun, and funny, and sweet.”
So how does Death factor into that? Perhaps he will return as a stark reminder of their bodacious youth, and shock them back into living life to the fullest. I could see either Bill or Ted having a near-death experience that could reignite their passion for metal music. Of course, they’ll have to play something other than chess (and Battleship). Maybe Candy Crush.
But the film will also have to deal with the passing of one of their own. George Carlin, who played Bill and Ted’s time-traveling guide Rufus, passed away in 2008. But Solomon said that the film will not only address the loss of Carlin, but pay tribute to him.
“George Carlin is so deeply missed by all of us,” Solomon said. “There is a… not just an homage to him, it’s more than that. His absence is a part of the whole movie.”
