Richard Linklater says he 'didn't make any money' from directing Dazed and Confused

The 1993 cult classic film Dazed and Confused might have done a lot of things. It might have launched careers for future movie stars Matthew McConaughey, Ben Affleck, Parker Posey, and Renée Zellweger. It might have inspired a whole new generation of stoners. It might have imparted the phrase "alright, alright, alright" directly into our vocabulary.

But according to a new interview with the Daily Beast, it did not make its director, Richard Linklater, any money.

"I don't know. Ask Universal! Hollywood accounting," Linklater said when asked why that was the case. He also recalls asking for a cut of the soundtrack since he handpicked all the songs (including iconic ones from Alice Cooper and Kiss) but because Dazed and Confused was his first film, he got shortsighted by Hollywood.

"Everybody has that story of getting screwed with their first project. That film was an indie success. It made more than it cost theatrically, and over the years it's been everywhere," he explained.

The coming-of-age movie, largely credited for kicking off the careers of actors who now identify as some of Hollywood's most notable A-listers, has stood the test of time thanks to its relatable plot and quotable dialogue. While acknowledging that, had he been fairly compensated, Linklater probably would have been rolling in dough as big as one of the film's joints, he also understands that it was all "part of the Hollywood experience." An experience that wouldn't happen in today's industry.

"Here I complain but they did green-light the film, and they wouldn't green-light the film today," Linklater said. "Cast of unknowns? Period film when not much happens, riding around? One film out of Sundance? I don't think there's a pitch for that movie today, so I sit here very, very blessed that I came along at a time when studios were going, hey, we'll make this and this and then throw some chump change over to these guys. I'm still grateful I got the film made, and got it made the way I wanted it to."

Want more movie news? Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free newsletter to get the latest trailers, celebrity interviews, film reviews, and more.

Related content:

• Richard Linklater adapting Sondheim musical over 20 years with Beanie Feldstein, Ben Platt
• See the cover for Melissa Maerz's Dazed and Confused oral history Alright, Alright, Alright