The indie director put Austin on the map, but hes been hopping from commercial to cult for a while now. Lets take a look at how he does it.
It seems strange that the director of the extremely indie Austin anthem Slacker would have turned out to hop so readily between indies and commercial movies. But Richard Linklater has been playing the game for a while, with some big hits and frustrating misses. So hows he doing at it?
1991-1996:
Richard Linklater came out of the gate holding the banner for Austin indie cinema and Gen-X culture with Slacker. The film was something of an indie sensation both for its microscopic budget and for its aimless, verbose ethos. He would then follow that up with a pair of crossover hits. Continuing the Texas thing, Dazed and Confused was probably a bigger hit for its soundtrack than its initial theatrical gross, but it earned a quick cult following on video and (later) DVD. Linklater then sold his next feature, the talky romantic drama Before Sunrise, to Columbia Pictures, after a Sundance premiere. Before Sunrise got a lot of attention and a lot of marketing -- Ethan Hawke was fresh off of Reality Bites, after all, and at the apex of his dreamboat era -- but the final product played completely like an indie film, one which didnt feel like Linklater had to put up with very much studio interference. Advantage: HIM
1998-2001:
With three straight cult hits under his belt, Linklater took his first major studio project with The Newton Boys, starring his old pals Ethan Hawke and Matthew McConaughey (Dazed and Confused). It was not a financial success, and Linklater wouldnt direct another movie for three years. When he came back, Linklater had directed two decidedly experimental indies. Tape was an early adopter of digital video technologies and starred Hawke and his then-wife Uma Thurman. Waking Life was a philosophical hodgepodge of old characters, big thinkers, and a rotoscoping animation technology. Neither film was a commercial success, but neither was expected to be. They were a hit with critics, however, and reestablished Linklater as a voice in the indie world. Advantage: HIM
2003-2008:
The next five years would be all over the map, but they certainly started off well. School of Rock was an unqualified hit, Linklaters first with a mainstream studio picture. The next year, he got some of the best reviews of his life with the sequel Before Sunset. The reviews were outstanding, School of Rock gave Jack Black arguably his best big-screen role, and he and Hawke and Julie Delpy ended up sharing an Oscar nomination for writing Sunset. The ensuing years couldnt meet that success, either in commercial ventures (Bad News Bears) nor at the arthouses (A Scanner Darkly; Fast Food Nation). Still, by the time he got to the well-regarded Me and Orson Welles in 2008, Linklater had managed to weather his big-studio flop and retain his reputation as a director who made the movies he wanted to make. Advantage: HIM
2011-present:
The momentum of Orsons modest indie success continued when Linklater returned to the festival circuit in 2011 with Bernie. Reuniting with Jack Black, Linklaters film that was as much a scaled-down crowdpleaser as School of Rock delighted the masses. And now, with Before Midnight, hes once again enjoying a rapturous response to his most successful cinematic venture. Once again, the balance of creative/commercial feels right in Linklaters control.
Previously:
VIDEO: Richard Linklater on the Risks of Making Sequels to Non-Blockbusters
Cannes Excitement Index, Part 1: The Coens, Robin Wright, and "The Past"
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
04/06/2026
Sony Electronics is introducing the SRG-AS10, a 4K 60p-compatible PTZ auto-frami...
04/06/2026
This recent grad from Spring, TX, led creative-video output for the Aggies' men's basketball team last season and has been producing video and creating ...
04/06/2026
For the first time at a women's golf major, every player in the field will r...
04/06/2026
Three Panasonic PT-RQ45 40,000-lumen 3-Chip DLP projectors made their first live...
04/06/2026
Bitmovin and Akamai have announced a collaboration with NRJ Group, a French mult...
04/06/2026
Telestream will exhibit at InfoComm 2026 (Booth N7952), demonstrating media work...
04/06/2026
Sony has announced the development of RIALTO 65, a 65mm format image sensor block for the VENICE 2 digital cinema camera, targeting release in the first half of...
04/06/2026
KOKUSAI DENKI Electric America will exhibit at InfoComm 2026 (Booth N8025, June ...
04/06/2026
Bell Media's TSN and RDS are the exclusive Canadian broadcasters of FIFA Wor...
04/06/2026
The Challenge: Receiving Heavy Media Files From Road Games Quickly and ReliablyT...
04/06/2026
MASV, a managed file transfer platform used in broadcast and live sports product...
04/06/2026
NESN has announced the appointment of Fahad Haider as Vice President of Operations and Engineering. Haider returns to NESN, where he previously served as Vice P...
04/06/2026
David J. Halberstam, who spent almost 50 years in sports as a broadcaster and an executive, died June 2 after a years-long battle with brain cancer.
Over his l...
04/06/2026
Although collegiate production programs are tasked with delivering high-quality ...
04/06/2026
California studio, two production trucks, global distribution system are combine...
04/06/2026
New global program empowers and supports storytellers through scriptwriting course and access to industry experts
TikTok and Sundance Institute today announce...
04/06/2026
Steinberg DAWs now boast in-depth Tonalic integration
Celemony's innovative virtual session musician plug-in has just received an update that brings ARA...
04/06/2026
Get Hands-On With Over 20 Mic Brands
GearExpo UK is fast approaching, and if you've been looking for a chance to check out some new mics, then you'r...
04/06/2026
Combos feature new Amplifier Intelligence engine
Positive Grid's latest release sees the company introduce two new combo amplifiers that promise to offe...
04/06/2026
Is Your Job Making You Work this June?
4 June, 2026
Media releases
SBS Launches the World Cup Watchers' Rights Association to Stand Up For Australians&...
04/06/2026
Statement regarding unauthorised use of SBS logos on third party social content
4 June, 2026
Media releases
SBS has become aware of social media posts in c...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Bitmovin, a leading provider of video streaming infrastructure, and Akamai, the cybersecurity and cloud computing company that powers and protects business onli...
04/06/2026
American Underground (AU), the Startup Hub of the South and a community of mor...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
NVIDIA and Microsoft Reinvent Windows PCs for the Age of Personal AI
Brie Clayton June 3, 2026
0 Comments
RTX Spark - a 1-Petaflop Superchip, the Full...
04/06/2026
Inside the Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man Grade
Brie Clayton June 3, 2026
0 Comments
Simone Grattarola discusses shaping the look in DaVinci Resolve...
04/06/2026
Cine Gear Expo Announces 2026 Awards of Excellence Recipients
Brie Clayton June 3, 2026
0 Comments
Ed Lachman ASC, Caleb Deschanel ASC, and M. David M...
04/06/2026
St. Vincents Live with Orchestra Tour to Feature Berklee Alum Ruby Plume Berklee alumni St. Vincent and Ruby Plume will appear on the same bill across seven d...
04/06/2026
Back to All News
All the Truth in My Lies Coming to Netflix on August 28
Entertainment
04 June 2026
GlobalSpain
Link copied to clipboard
Download the imag...
04/06/2026
Back to All News
Larry Tanz, VP of Content, EMEA, Delivers a Keynote Speech at ...
04/06/2026
Back to All News
Turn Your Living Room into a Stadium With the New FIFA World ...
04/06/2026
Keeping conversations real on LinkedIn Published on Jun 4, 2026 Categories: Product News
LinkedIn Corporate Communications
Share
LinkedIn
Facebook ...
04/06/2026
BackStory follows four Irish young people as they travel back to their parents' homelands
Modern Irish identity is enriched by cultures and influences from...
04/06/2026
June's forecast with GeForce NOW: 100% chance of gaming.
GeForce NOW is lining up new adventures for the month, from big-name blockbusters to quirky indies...
03/06/2026
SES and Viva, Mexico's ultra low-cost airline, have launched multi-orbit satellite inflight connectivity on Viva's Airbus aircraft. A total of 60 A320s ...
03/06/2026
The College Football Playoff, ESPN, and TNT Sports have announced kick times and...
03/06/2026
RED Digital Cinema will exhibit at Cine Gear Expo 2026 (Booth 33, June 5-6, Universal Studios Lot), hosting three panels and hands-on product demonstrations.
P...
03/06/2026
Roku has announced the Soccer Zone, a dedicated hub for FIFA World Cup 2026 content available across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Argent...
The indie director put Austin on the map, but hes been hopping from commercial to cult for a while now. Lets take a look at how he does it. 
