Most excellent news, Alamo Drafthouse lovers: “Bill & Ted Face the Music” is screening a day early and totally free of charge at select Drafthouse locations on Aug. 26, marking a highly anticipated initial step in the gradual reopening of the celebrated cinema chain.
“Our guests love the guys from Wyld Stallyns, so that’s why we’re stoked to be the first theater company to show ‘Bill & Ted Face the Music’ — one day early and for free,” senior VP Steve Bunnell said.
“Bill & Ted Face the Music” represents the third installment of the sci-fi comedy series. Its release date has wildly vacillated back and forth on the calendar as the pandemic continues to make theatrical scheduling a fluid situation.
Originally slated to be released on Aug. 21, “Bill & Ted Face the Music” was then moved forward a week to fill the void left by other delayed projects. Soon afterwards, the movie was pushed back by two weeks due to Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” (temporarily) landing on the same weekend. It was then delayed a few more days to Sept. 1 before finally returning to the Aug. 28 slot.
If some of these dates don’t exactly make sense to you, join the club. Orion Pictures, along with actor Alex Winter, announced the film’s final release date as Friday, Aug. 28. Other reporting outlets have stated that “Bill & Ted Face the Music” will simultaneously launch on premium video-on-demand and in cinemas on Thursday, Aug. 27. And the latest news from Alamo Drafthouse is that they will be screening the film a day earlier than everyone else on Wednesday, Aug. 26.
Regardless, longtime patrons of the lauded dine-in cinema are elated to simply have their local silver screen up and running again.
“We are incredibly excited to welcome everyone back to Alamo Drafthouse,” Drafthouse CEO Shelli Taylor said in a statement. “‘Tenet,’ ‘The New Mutants’ and ‘Bill & Ted Face the Music’ are made for the big screen experience. We’ve all dearly missed going to the movies, and with our many enhanced safety protocols we feel that we can come together again confidently and securely.”
According to a press release the company issued on Friday, some Drafthouse locations will open as early as Aug. 21 with a number of repertory screenings including “The Avengers,” “Inception,” and “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure.” Additional locations will open the following week with screenings including “Edge of Tomorrow,” “The Matrix,” and “Spirited Away.”
As of this writing, neither the Alamo website nor social media has announced which locations will be opening or when, so stay tuned to this space for updates.
