Long-awaited third Bill and Ted movie coming in 2020

Keannu Reeves and Alex Winter will reprise their roles as San Dimas time-travellers for Bill & Ted Face the Music. Photo / Getty Images.

The long-rumoured third Bill and Ted movie is finally set to go into production and scheduled to hit the big screen next year.

The most excellent news was announced today, with star duo Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter - aka William 'Bill' S Preston Esq and Theodore 'Ted' Logan - confirming they will reprise their iconic roles as bodacious metal head slackers in Bill & Ted Face the Music.

The world is about to get a lot more excellent. Watch this special announcement from your two favorite dudes! 8.21.20 🎸⚡️ pic.twitter.com/miOtBhinlC

— Bill & Ted 3 (@BillandTed3) March 20, 2019

"We want to say thank you to you, the fans," Reeves begins. "It looks like we might…"

"Actually," Winter interrupts.

"Hopefully," adds Reeves.

"Make a movie this summer!" Winter says, before adding: "It is all because of you guys, and so we owe you a huge debt of gratitude and we wanted to say thank you."

The third instalment will be directed by Galaxy Quest's Dean Parisot, while the writing team behind the 1989 original Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and 1991 follow-up Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey will reunite to pen the screenplay.

The first film saw the two lovable teenage burn-outs travel through time to bring historical figures back to their California hometown, to help them pass their high school history paper, while the sequel saw the pair head into the underworld and take on the Grim Reaper in games of Twister, Clue and Battleship.

Both movies became cult classics and introduced such phrases as "Party on, dudes!" and "Be excellent to each other" into the mainstream.

An official plot synopsis for Bill and Ted Face the Music from Orion Pictures explains: "Yet to fulfil their rock and roll destiny, the now middle-aged best friends set out on a new adventure, when a visitor from the future warns them that only their song can save life as we know it and bring harmony to the universe. Along the way, they will be helped by their families, old friends and a few music legends."