Richard Linklater is not afraid to continue a story if an idea presents itself. Previously creating a trilogy of films based around the Before Sunrise story, many have believed that the acclaimed director may be willing to continue the story which was set in motion in the critically acclaimed and award winning Boyhood film. For a year his answer has been quite non commmital, but now that award season has ended, it appears the thought has grown on the director. The director was on Jeff Goldsmith’s podcast recently and this is what he had to say:
“To be honest… this film first met its audience exactly a year ago and for the first six months of the year, my answer to that was absolutely not. This was twelve years, it was first grade through 12th grade; it was about getting out of high school. I had no idea about another story, there’s nothing to say. It hadn’t crossed my mind. But I don’t know if it’s been a combination of finally feeling that this is over or being asked a similar question a bunch over the last year, that I thought, well, I wake up in the morning thinking, ‘the 20s are pretty formative, you know?’ That’s where you really become who you’re going to be. It’s one thing to grow up and go to college, but it’s another thing to… So, I will admit my mind has drifted towards [this sequel idea].”
This is great news for fans of the film. Considering the possibilities of the continuing story of Mason would be a welcome addition to the original film, if done right, and with Linklater behind the lense, that is a foregone conclusion. The director has a proven track record of telling great stories and it is hard to believe this wouldn’t be handled in the best way possible. He went on to say:
“The twelve years structure came out of school structure. It wouldn’t have to be twelve years. It wouldn’t have to be… I mean, who knows. I mean, if I learned anything on the Before trilogy it took five years to realize that Jesse and Celine were still alive and had anything to say. This one would probably be more accelerated, but who knows.”
Continuing a story that has become beloved is a risk and it would take a commitment from all parties of the original film, Ellar Coltrane being the most important as it is his story. Would the cast return? Would Linklater really take on another story? He added:
“I’ve dealt with this before… I have, in my movies, touched on people in their 20s. So to what degree I’ll be going over certain territories again—I dunno, It’s impossible to say what may or may not come of it… I would love to keep working with this cast and I think we all would. But that can’t be the primary reason to do it. You always need something to say. You can’t do it just cause you want to work with your friends, you gotta have something really inside you you’re trying to communicate about those years. I might happen, but I dunno, it’s in the ether in the moment.”
Whether we see a return film will be a mystery until the cameras roll, but I for one would be lined up to see Adulthood or whatever it would be called.
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