Ethan Hawke confirms sequel to Richard Linklater’s Before Sunrise films

For fans of Richard Linklater’s indie romance films BEFORE SUNRISE and BEFORE SUNSET, both starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, there’s good news on the horizon.  In an interview with Indiewire, Hawke discussed his upcoming THE WOMAN IN THE FIFTH and what his plans were for the near future, which included this juicy bit:

“We’re also doing a follow-up to “Before Sunrise” and “Before Sunset,” so that will be fun. We’re going to shoot that this summer,” said Hawke.  When asked where the third film in the series would take place, Hawke elaborated, “I’ve gotten into trouble, so I’m sworn to secrecy. The biggest change between this one and the last one is the Internet. The first time we did it, we didn’t have any pressure; nobody gave a shit.”

There’s a pretty big cult following for the BEFORE SUNRISE films and with good reason; They’re great films.  Engaging, introspective, funny, and pretty deep in terms of the mechanics of attraction and relationships.  The really cool thing is that with so much space between movies, you actually feel as if you’re growing older with these characters.  It’s rare to find a series of films with sequels that advance the characters that degree, because let’s face it, normally we just get more of the same.  Not so with these. 

So, there you have it.  Good reason to be excited for us indie fans and fans of the series.  More to follow as this project develops.

Ethan Hawke can next be seen in THE WOMAN IN THE FIFTH, which opens on June 15, 2012 and in SINISTER, opening on October 5, 2012.