Ethan Hawke and Richard Linklater's Collaborations
Ethan Hawke and Richard Linklater recently reunited for their ninth collaboration with the film Blue Moon. Their partnership has been longstanding and creatively fruitful.
Potential Sequels: The Black Phone and Before Series
After the success of The Black Phone 2, which earned $26.5 million over its opening weekend, Hawke expressed enthusiasm for continuing the horror franchise. He shared with Entertainment Weekly his vision for the next installment:
“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.”
In contrast, Hawke is reluctant about revisiting the Before trilogy with Linklater and Julie Delpy. Speaking to Variety, he reflected on the trilogy's completion:
“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 also hinted at the possibility of exploring new projects with the same collaborators:
“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 is eager to continue the horror franchise but feels the Before series with Richard Linklater and Julie Delpy has reached a natural conclusion, leaving room for fresh collaborations in the future.