Being the bearer of bad news is (almost) never a fun task, but, today, that’s what must be done. While many were excited to hear — right from the mouth of Ethan Hawke, no less — that he, Julie Delpy, and Richard Linklater would get down to filming the third film in their Before trilogy (which you kind of don’t need me to tell you is already comprised of Before Sunrise and Before Sunset) this very summer. It was a mere matter of months away from being a tangible thing!

We’re now in the double-digit days of this dreadful month, and that also happened to be our last update. Notice anything? Delpy confirmed what one need not even necessarily “suspect” whilst speaking to ThePlaylist, revealing the long-awaited, third romantic tryst might not get going for somewhere between a year and 18 months.

Disappointing, undoubtedly, though Delpy assured that Before 4 A.M. or whatever it’s called is still very much a developing project; we even heard some (technically) new information. In corroborating what Hawke said two months back, the actress told us their new picture is “rooted in the technology of now,” with online interaction presenting the idea Jesse and Céline would have “been together and fallen apart by now.” (Hawke, for proper context, called the internet “[t]he biggest change between this one and the last one.”)

There it is, all you Europe-traversing romantics. It’s not the news you wanted to hear, but, after all the waiting, fretting, revisiting, and speculating, you can rest easy that a third Before is (more likely than not) coming down the line. I’m sure the dialogue, scenery, and intoxicating atmosphere will make this mild annoyance worth it in the end. Hope, at least.

Is it a let-down, reading that their next collaboration is further off than expected?