Alex Winter talks about returning to narrative filmmaking with Adulthood and the enduring power of Bill & Ted.
Alex Winter has always defied expectations. From his breakout in Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure to directing cult classics and documentaries, he’s carved out a career that constantly surprises. Now, in 2025, Winter is balancing a new indie film, a Broadway reunion with Keanu Reeves, and the long-awaited restoration of his beloved 1993 oddball comedy Freaked.
I spoke again with Winter for an in-depth conversation about his latest projects, the current state of movies, and whether fans might ever see another adventure with Bill and Ted.
Reuniting With Keanu on Broadway
While promoting Adulthood, Winter has also been performing in previews of Waiting for Godot in New York alongside Reeves. Directed by Jamie Lloyd, the production marks the first time the two longtime friends have reunited on stage.
“It’s about two very close, very old friends,” Winter explained. “It’s considered absurdist theater in that it’s not a very conventional plot, but it is a very beautiful, moving story that is, at times, hilarious, very sad, and very dramatic. So it’s kind of, it takes a lot out of you. It’s also very physical. But we’re having a great time. Audiences are really engaging with it, and that’s been fun.”
He praised Lloyd’s approach as both modern and grounded. “Jamie’s very good at ferreting out all of that stuff. And that’s the stuff that makes it really interesting to play and I think makes it rewarding for audiences.”
The Road to Adulthood
Winter’s new film, Adulthood, arrives on digital following its theatrical release. The movie stars Josh Gad, Kaya Scodelario, Billie Lourd, and Anthony Carrigan in a darkly comic noir about siblings who discover a corpse in their basement, triggering a spiral of crime and cover-ups.
“It had been a while since I’d made a narrative,” Winter said. “I wanted to make another narrative on my own terms. I wanted to make a small indie that I could control creatively… and I sought a very specific script. My producing partner, Russell Hollander, and I went after looking for a kind of hard-boiled but comedic noir. That’s what I was looking to do very specifically.”
He credited screenwriter Michael Galvin with crafting a script that could stand apart in today’s film landscape. “I know that movies are in trouble. I know it’s very hard to get movies made,” Winter explained. “There’s a very small handful of true made-for-grown-up indies… so I sought a very specific script. We developed it further with Michael, extracted the themes I was most interested in, and assembled this cast. We had a great time. It was very challenging, but I’m just very happy with the film.”
Building the Ensemble
Winter’s cast for Adulthood is stacked, and he made it clear this was by design. “This is an actor’s ensemble piece. That’s what it is,” he said. “Getting Josh Gad aboard… he’s just so immensely talented. He could flex his drama chops as well as his very well-known comedy chops. He’s such a beautifully gifted dramatic actor and I think he gets to do some really lovely work in this film.”
On Kaya Scodelario: “She’s just a ferociously talented actress, staggeringly talented. And again with her… I just hadn’t seen her do comedy, but I knew from seeing the work she’d done in Skins that she had so much wit.” On Billie Lourd: “It struck me forever that she was born to play a film noir femme fatale. Like a vamp, like a bad egg in a noir. She’s just got the eyes and the persona.”
And on Anthony Carrigan, who previously starred with Winter in Bill & Ted Face the Music: “I would literally put him in every single thing I do ever. If I get the chance to do more, he will be in them. He’s one of the greatest actors, I think, of our generation.”
Directing and Acting at the Same Time
Winter also appears in Adulthood, though he admitted it was not an easy choice. “I hate it. I don’t know why I keep doing it to myself,” he said with a laugh. “They’re two very different disciplines to suddenly leap out from behind the camera and get into character. It’s not that easy for me to just switch on and off like that.”
He took on the role of Doug because he felt the character’s portrayal was crucial to the film’s tone. “It was very critical how he was played. It kind of would tip the balance for the film working or not in a very significant scene.”
Freaked Lives Again
Fans of Winter’s cult classic Freaked finally have reason to celebrate: a deluxe 4K restoration is on the way. “I could not be happier,” Winter said. “I’ve been trying to pry this movie out of Disney for like years and years and years. And I finally got to people who were huge fans of the film there who were incredibly supportive.”
Working with Drafthouse Films, Giant, and Umbrella, Winter ensured the restoration was handled with care. “They’re making a full book. They’ve interviewed a ton of people who were involved in making the movie. We did a full restoration going back to the negative and then a full new color correct… this is a whole different ballgame than anything that’s ever happened with the film since its very small release back in the early 90s.”
Winter credited fans with keeping the film alive. “The film is alive because of fans. It has stood the test of time and, in some ways, grown with more appreciation. Nobody would have done this restoration if they didn’t think there was an audience for it.”
Ben 10 on the Big Screen?
Winter also reflected on directing Ben 10 projects and whether the franchise could work as a major film. “It would cost a lot of money to do it right,” he admitted. “It really lives and dies on the quality of the VFX… but man, wouldn’t it be amazing to see a proper Ben 10 movie? To me, it always struck me as when I was a little kid playing in my backyard. I just love the spirit of imagination in it. It taps into what childhood is.”
Could Bill and Ted Return?
Of course, fans want to know if Ted Theodore Logan and Bill S. Preston, Esq. might have another adventure. Winter didn’t shut the door.
“You never say never,” he said. “The guys had a really, actually, really amazing idea for a fourth movie that really did seem worth doing. That is so obvious. If people ever hear what it is, you’re kind of amazed we didn’t do it already. But I don’t know if it’ll happen or not… it’s really just banter at this point.”
Always Looking Forward
From indies to Broadway, from cult favorites to fan speculation, Winter continues to thrive. “I’m really excited to get it out into the world,” he said of Adulthood. “Audiences are really loving it in screenings, which is making me really thrilled.”
Adulthood is now available digitally, while Freaked will be released in a deluxe 4K version later this year. And as for Bill and Ted? Well, in the words of the Wyld Stallyns, the future remains “most excellent.”
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Sean Tajipour
Sean Tajipour is the Founder and Editor of Nerdtropolis and the host of the Moviegoers Society and Reel Insights Podcast. He is also a member of the Critics Choice Association. You can follow on Twitter and Instagram @Seantaj.
