One of the more unexpected casting credits assigned to the long in development third “Bill and Ted” film is that of filmmaker Steven Soderbergh.

Rumored to be titled “Bill & Ted Face the Music,” this follow-up to the iconic late 1980s/early 1990s films starring Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter has been discussed as a possibility for well over a decade. However, over the past year, there’s been serious steam behind it with writers Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon having done a script and plans for filming to begin early this year.

Appearing at the Slamdance Film Festival this week, Soderbergh confirmed to CNet that a script is done and he dubs it “hilarious”. Asked about a potential release date, he suggests it could be as early as this Christmas and adds: “That’d be a good Christmas present”.

Both Winter and Reeves have talked about the film in recent times, the new project sees the two Wyld Stallyns bandmates as middle-aged men with families whose musician future did not go as planned. Soderbergh jokes “nobody’s getting paid” for the film which is being seen as a “love gig” for everyone involved.

Dean Parisot (“Galaxy Quest”) is attached to helm.