Ethan Hawke on Future Collaborations and Sequels
Ethan Hawke and Richard Linklater have recently reunited for their ninth collaboration, Blue Moon. Following its success, attention has also turned to Hawke’s return in the horror sequel The Black Phone 2, which opened strongly with $26.5 million at the box office. Hawke expressed enthusiasm for continuing the franchise, noting his enjoyment in exploring darker genre roles.
“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.”
However, Hawke remains hesitant about revisiting another of his iconic collaborations with Linklater, the Before trilogy co-starring Julie Delpy. When asked by Variety if a new installment might follow 2013’s Before Midnight, Hawke reflected on the trilogy’s natural conclusion.
“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 added that while another project with Linklater and Delpy is possible, it might take a new form altogether.
“If we were to do another, it might not be a Before film. It could be something new — maybe the After series. But 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 celebrates his latest Linklater project but suggests the beloved Before trilogy has reached closure, leaving room for future creative reinvention instead of repetition.