Revisiting old films always ignites a sense of nostalgia. Richard Linklater’s “Before” series is one such treasure that evokes the feelings of opening a candy box. It has been over a decade since Linklater blessed the world with “Before Midnight,” the third installment of the critically acclaimed “Before” Trilogy. While it was assumed that “Before Midnight” was the last film in the franchise, now it has been hinted that there might be a fourth film. In a recent interview with ComicBook, the writer and director of the trilogy series Linklater expressed his desire to move forward with the story with a new Before film. However, he emphasized that he would only proceed when the time is right.
What are Richard Linklater’s Plans for the Expansion of the ‘Before’ Trilogy?
Before Trilogy consists of three American romance films directed by Richard Linklater. The film stars Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy in the lead roles. The trilogy comprises three films: “Before Sunrise” (1995), “Before Sunset” (2004), and “Before Midnight” (2013). The films were all written by Linklater, along with Kim Krizan on the first film, while Hawke and Delpy also contributed to the screenplays of the last two films.
The movie is set and filmed in nine-year intervals, chronicling the romantic relationship between Jesse (Hawke) and Céline (Delpy) at three periods of their lives. The films are considered minimalist, consisting mostly of monologues and casual conversations with extended dialogue between the characters. Contrasting ideas and perspectives on life and love are detailed, with the series referencing time, self-discovery, age, loss, and parentage; it is considered an exploration of postmodern romance.
Before Trilogy received widespread critical acclaim, nominated for two Academy Awards, two Writers Guild of America Awards, and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress—Motion Picture Comedy or Musical for Delpy for “Before Midnight.” The film also passed with flying colors in terms of commercial success, grossing $61.5 million worldwide against a combined budget of $7.5 million.
Ever since the release of the last film in the trilogy, there have been several rumors regarding the fourth installment of the franchise. However, there has been no confirmation about it as of now. But keeping up with the fans’ expectations, Linklater recently shared that there is room for possibility. The filmmaker said,
“Never say never. I mean, we did kind of blow past our nine-year whatever thing, but we weren’t too precious about that. You know, it’s like that was kind of arbitrary to begin with. We’ll do it when it makes sense, when those characters have something to say. Maybe it makes sense as you get older, you don’t, you know, it’s less urgent or something, but I don’t think it ever goes away. So, who knows? Who the hell knows? Certainly nothing on the boards.”
As Linklater said, a fourth Before movie is not in the works yet, but the third installment, “Before Midnight,” is available to stream on Prime Video.
