Ethan Hawke described Before Sunrise (1995) as a film about what might be, Before Sunset (2004) as a film about what could or should be, and Before Midnight (2013) as a film about what is.
Dedicated to the memory of Amy Lehrhaupt, the woman who was the inspiration for Before Sunrise (1995). Richard Linklater had spent a night walking and talking around Philadelphia with her in 1989. Though initially they stayed in touch over the telephone, they lost contact eventually. In 1994, Linklater started shooting "Before Sunrise" and when the world premiere was about to take place, Linklater was secretly hoping that Amy would show up but she did not. Ten years later, Linklater shot the sequel Before Sunset (2004) and had yet to hear from Amy. Finally, in 2010, a friend of Amy's who knew about their story, contacted Linklater to tell him that Amy had died in a motorcycle accident on May 9, 1994 at the age of 24, only a few weeks before he started shooting Before Sunrise (1995). Both Linklater and Hawke were devastated but found comfort in the inspiration for the Before Trilogy.
Like "Before Sunset" before it, filmed in 15 days.
Although the movie features naturalistic dialogue, every scene was heavily rehearsed, rigidly followed the script and involved no improvisation.
In the final scene of Before Sunset (2004), Celine and Jesse discuss their admiration for Nina Simone and Celine dances to "Just in Time." In this film, one of their daughters is named Nina. The name of their daughter Ella is likely a reference to Ella Fitzgerald.