Keanu Reeves Shaves off His ‘John Wick’ Beard for ‘Bill and Ted 3’

Keanu Reeves is getting cleaned up for Bill and Ted Face the Music, shaving off the beard he sported in John Wick Chapter 3 – Parabellum.

Reeves is fresh off the success of the third John Wick film, but he is taking on new role much different from his grizzled, reluctant assassin. Reeves is reprising his role as Theodore Logan — better known as Ted — opposite Alex Winter as Bill S. Preston. In new paparazzi photos from the set, Reeves appeared clean-shaven for the first time in months.

The actor still sported his long black hair, now reaching down nearly to hi shoulders. He held it at bay with a backwards baseball cap, and wore dark sunglasses as well. In the photos, Reeves carried an iced coffee, a water bottle and a pack of cigarettes as he hung around on set in New Orleans.

The pictures showed Reeves in a button-down work shirt, both with and without a blue blazer. He wore slacks and comfortable hiking shoes and appeared deep in thought on the first day of filming.

Reeves presumably ditched his beard in preparation for the long-awaited threequel. Back in 1989, Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure helped launch Reeves’ career, along with several other major studio films at the time. He and Winter followed it up in 1991 with Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey, an even stranger tale of time travel and existential crisis.

Now, they are finally picking the franchise back up 9 years later — both in real life and in the movie’s time line. According to the official synopsis, Bill and Ted Face the Music will find the two affable heroes as suburban dads, dreaming of the rock n’ roll destiny they left unfulfilled. Together, Bill and Ted will try to pen one perfect song, leading them on yet another journey into the unknown.

The movie will introduce Bill and Ted’s daughters, Billie and Thea, perhaps introducing a new generation of happy-go-lucky heroes. They are played by Bridgette Lundy-Paine and Samara Weaving, respectively. Other new cast members include Erinn Hayes of Kevin Can Wait fame, and Barry’s Anthony Carrigan.

However, fans can expect much to remain the same in the franchise as well. The script was written by original screenwriters Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon, so the authenticity of the story will be there. In addition, William Sadler will reprise his role as Death, though how much he will feature in the film is unclear.

Bill and Ted Face the Music is due in theaters on Aug. 21, 2020.