Richard Linklater’s next is a type of sequel to Dazed & Confused and Boyhood

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

With Richard Linklater's BOYHOOD raking in five Golden Globe nominations, including Best Motion Picture and Best Screenplay, I'd say that expectations for his next film grew exponentially. The man knows how to deliver sequels that really expand on a story, rather than repeat it (BEFORE SUNSET, BEFORE MIDNIGHT). However, once he dubbed his latest a spiritual successor to DAZED AND CONFUSED, a lot of folks grew a bit skeptic. Carrying the moniker THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, this spiritual successor will take place in the 80s as a group of kids enter their first year of college. Linklater recently spoke about the writing process of BOYHOOD, of which you can read here, but he also opened up a bit about his next film.

Richard Linklater talking about his spiritual sequel to DAZED AND CONFUSED:

Well, I think the word “spiritual” gets me off the hook. I just shot it and wrapped it recently, and it has nothing to do with DAZED AND CONFUSED other than it would be set four years later, when one of the younger characters went off to college. It’s a party film. It’s really about the beginning of school, not the end of the school year. I guess personally or autobiographically it’s kind of in that realm, but it’s also a continuation of BOYHOOD, believe it or not. I don’t know if one film can be a sequel to two different movies, but it begins right where BOYHOOD ends with a guy showing up at college and meeting his new roommates and a girl. It overlaps with the end of BOYHOOD.

For those who have seen BOYHOOD, you can definitely see what he's talking about regarding the overlap where BOYHOOD ends and this film begins. I do love how Linklater tackles sequels in a idealistic way, but a small part of me would just love to see a character that definitively cements this all in one universe. Regardless, Linklater has always been a must-see for me regarding his latest and greatest, and I'm sure THAT'S WHAT I'm TALKING ABOUT will be no different. Let's get a release date already!