Despite the best efforts of the film gods, it appears that the long-talked about Bill and Ted 3 is actually happening. The film, which has been in the works for years, has had to struggle with obstacles like the passing of George Carlin (who played a central role in the first two films,) out-of-reach budgets, and meddling, shadowy cabals.

Miraculously, these issues haven’t deterred Alex Winter or Keanu Reeves, who play Bill and Ted, respectively. Nor have they scared off Ed Solomon or Chris Matheson, who wrote the first two films. In an interview with Forbes, Winter confirmed that the film looks like it is actually, really happening.

“We have a script, we have a director, we have a studio – we’re just trying to nail down a start date,” said Winter of the project, which has been in some form of production for about six years.

Trying to reboot a franchise as old and out-of-mind to filmgoers as Bill and Ted certainly can’t be easy, especially with a previously reported budget of $150 million. Add to that the fact that Carlin’s character Rufus was an essential part of Bill and Ted’s ability to travel through time, and it’s no wonder that those behind the project have had a hard time getting it off the ground.

Winter and Reeves have both kept very busy in the years that they’ve been silently working on the next Bill and Ted film. Reeves has enjoyed mainstream success, and in recent years has starred in films such as Knock Knock, John Wick and 47 Ronin, among others. Winter has been a little more low profile, though he’s recently gained some prominence for his documentary work, directing well-received movies Deep Web, Downloaded, and the short film Anyone Can Quantum. He’s also in the pre-production phase of a documentary on the life of infamous musician Frank Zappa, called Who The F*@% is Frank Zappa?

All of the drama was worth it, it seems, as Winter has very confidently proclaimed that the movie is happening, and with much of the original cast and crew returning. That is most excellent.

Read more comedy news.