Ethan Hawke thinks he and Julie Delpy could reunite for more movies in the 'Before' saga.

Richard Linklater and Ethan Hawke

Richard Linklater and Ethan Hawke

The two stars first appeared as Jesse and Celine in Richard Linklater's 1995 movie 'Sunrise', and went on to reunite in 'Sunset' in 2004 and again in 2013's 'Midnight', and though the 47-year-old actor thinks the director's trilogy is now complete, he feels there is scope for the beloved characters to continue their story in another way.

He told Sunday Times magazine: "My feeling is that the trilogy has come to an end.

"But there might be a way to revisit. If it was different from the one-night episodes we came up with.

"If there were another, it would break from the nine-year gaps we've had so far. You'd find Jesse and Céline at a very different age. Or maybe the movie to make is the death of one of them. It all takes place in a hospital, and they're in their eighties."

And Ethan even thinks the characters could move to a very different setting.

Asked if a genre film would work, he replied: "Yes -- or I can imagine a movie with them on Mars, and they're still talking."

Meanwhile, the 'First Reformed' star admitted his "heart broke" when he realised his grandfather's insistence that smoking in movies inspired people to adopt the habit was true, but he's still against censoring real life on film.

He said: "My grandfather used to say he hated it when I smoked in movies. He said more people smoke because of James Dean than any ad, but I'd deny that.

"Then I got a cab, and this guy goes, 'Oh, man, Ethan Hawke! 'Brooklyn's Finest'! When you shoot those guys in the head, then light that cigarette? Every time, I light up just because of you!' And my heart broke.

"But if you see things that don't look like life, you'll scream. We are sexual, violent creatures. We like drugs and alcohol. If we make art that doesn't talk about that? Well, I have very complicated feelings... Where is censorship? Where is the responsibility of the artist?"