Ethan Hawke and Richard Linklater's Collaborations
Ethan Hawke and Richard Linklater recently reunited for their ninth collaboration on the film Blue Moon. While fans may wonder about a new installment in their acclaimed series, Hawke has shared his thoughts on future projects.
Prospects for Black Phone Sequel
The horror sequel Black Phone 2 has launched successfully, earning $26.5 million during its opening weekend. Hawke enjoys working in genre films and expressed a strong desire to continue the story.
“I would like to go to hell with the Grabber. That would be my dream for the third one, to let it be a character piece about what made him, who he is now, and how he’s haunting other people’s dreams.”
Future of the Before Film Series
Regarding the beloved Before film trilogy with Julie Delpy and Richard Linklater, Hawke believes the story arc is complete. It has been 12 years since Before Midnight.
“The answer I usually give is that the three films feel complete. The first one begins with us on a train listening to a couple in their mid-40s fighting, and in the third one, we’ve become that couple. The circle feels complete.”
He suggested that if they did pursue another project together, it might not be under the Before title but something new, possibly an After series. Hawke emphasized the importance of creative alignment among the trio:
“Part of what made those movies special is that Julie, Rick, and I were always in sync about what we wanted to say. That could happen again one day — it might start with one phone call or an email.”
Summary
Ethan Hawke cherishes his collaborations with Richard Linklater but sees the Before trilogy as complete, while being open to new projects in both horror and fresh narratives with his longtime creative partners.