“Boyhood,” the Oscar-winning coming-of-age drama directed by Richard Linklater that took 12 years to film, is returning to theaters nationwide to celebrate its 12th anniversary.
“We started shooting this movie 24 years ago,” Linklater says. “I looked up and saw how life was going, and it’s been 12 years since this movie came out, which is kind of crazy. But the whole project wasn’t traditional. We got together for a few weeks every year to shoot, so it ended up being a huge part of our lives.”
When Boyhood was released in 2014, critics raved about the family drama, and the film received six Oscar nominations, with Patricia Arquette winning Best Supporting Actress. Since its release, it has consistently ranked as one of the best films ever made. Linklater said the independent film company that released “Boyhood” approached him about doing something to commemorate the 10th anniversary.
“I wasn’t feeling great and I think I was busy,” Linklater said. “We just kicked the can, but the idea was, let’s do a 12th anniversary. Everyone does 10, 20, 25 years, right? When you do an anniversary, those are places zero and five. We’re the only ones entitled to do a 12th anniversary that’s not completely arbitrary. But it was really just a delaying tactic.”
As part of the film’s celebration, the cast and creators will also reunite in Austin, Texas, where Boyhood was made, for a one-night-only commemorative event. The film will be hosted by the Austin Film Institute, which Linklater founded and produced the film, on July 18th. The reunion event will feature a special screening, red carpet premiere and live Q&A with Linklater, with stars Ethan Hawke, Arquette and Ellar Coltrane in attendance.
“Boyhood” is the highest-grossing movie in the history of independent film production, with domestic box office grosses of over $25 million.
“‘Boyhood’ captures something deeply human about growing up and the passage of time in a way that few films have before,” IFC Entertainment Group President Scott Schumann said in a statement. “Twelve years after its original release, we are honored to once again be part of the theater’s continued efforts to celebrate this work and bring audiences, old and new, to experience it on the big screen.”
“Boyhood” returns to arthouse theaters starting July 31 following the Austin Film Society event. Participating theaters, including Alamo Drafthouse, will have access to a recorded alumni cast and filmmaker Q&A. The full reunion conversation will also be available in an upcoming exclusive presentation accompanying “Boyhood” on Sundance Now, a streaming service owned by IFC’s parent company AMC Global Media.
Linklater praised the independent film companies for giving him the resources to make the film for such a long period of time, believing that it would ultimately produce something worthwhile.
“They just took the plunge,” Linklater admits. “But sometimes you get a reward for being bold.”
