Ethan Hawke First Read the Script for Richard Linklater’s Upcoming ‘Blue Moon’ 12 Years Ago, but the Director Said He Was ‘Still Too Attractive’ to Make It: ‘We Need to Wait a While’

As a seasoned cinephile with decades of movie-watching under my belt, I find myself deeply moved by the story of Ethan Hawke and Richard Linklater’s collaboration on “Blue Moon.” It’s not every day that we come across such a unique tale of perseverance, patience, and the pursuit of artistic excellence.

For the very first time, Ethan Hawke has spoken up regarding his recent project with director Richard Linklater, titled “Blue Moon.” Interestingly, he shares that he came across the script for this biographical film about the life of songwriter Lorenz Hart a full dozen years back.

During a Venice Film Festival masterclass on Monday, Hawke recounted saying, “I’m smitten with it, let’s go for it! We need to create this movie,” to Linklater. However, there was a single obstacle – Linklater believed that Hawke was still too good-looking to convincingly play the part.

“Hawke stated that the individual said something like, ‘Great, we’ll manage to pull this off, but we need to hold off for some time.’ I asked why we had to wait, and he replied, ‘Because you’re still too captivating. We must wait until you’ve lost a bit of your charm.’ This left me perplexed.” Hawke further explained, “He suggested, ‘Just believe in me. Let’s store it away for now, and every few years, let’s revisit it to check if we’re prepared or not.'”

Hawke shared that they had occasionally reviewed the script over the years, but the timing never seemed suitable – until a breakthrough moment occurred. “I spotted him on an interview, I believe it was on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon last year, and he reached out to me. He said, ‘Hey, I saw you on The Tonight Show!’ I replied, ‘That’s terrific, how did it go?’ To which he responded, ‘Oh, it was alright. Let’s make “Blue Moon.”‘ It was as if he had invited me to a place I didn’t want to go.”

Elsewhere, Hawke said he admires “the hell out of” filmmakers like Francis Ford Coppola who put so much of their own money into financing passion projects.

“Hawke expressed admiration, stating, ‘It’s fantastic that Coppola gave up his vineyard to create that film.’ He continued, ‘I appreciate it when individuals persist in pursuing the grand vision of crafting something extraordinary.'”

He went on to say, “It’s quite challenging since the movie-making industry primarily focuses on earning profits. Often, our beloved films aren’t driven by financial gain, so we must maintain that passion… I wouldn’t want to be someone who wouldn’t risk selling their home to produce a film. I find it amazing, I think it’s fantastic. I deeply respect those who do this.”

2024-09-02 12:46

Ethan Hawke First Read the Script for Richard Linklater’s Upcoming ‘Blue Moon’ 12 Years Ago, but the Director Said He Was ‘Still Too Attractive’ to Make It: ‘We Need to Wait a While’

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