For a long time, the idea of a sequel to Call Me by Your Name lived very naturally among us. It didn’t feel like wishful thinking, but like something that might simply happen one day. Early interviews, passing remarks, and André Aciman’s follow-up novel all left room for that possibility — enough to let imaginations wander.
It wasn’t about demanding more, or needing the story to continue at all costs. It was about staying with Elio and Oliver a little longer, about wondering what might come next after a summer that felt both complete and unfinished. That quiet space between what was shown and what could still exist invited speculation.
Plans eventually shifted, and the sequel never moved forward. Still, looking back at why the idea mattered says something important about the film itself — its characters, its atmosphere, and the world Luca Guadagnino created. These are the six reasons that once made the thought of a sequel feel worth holding onto.
1. The original characters
One of the strongest hopes around a sequel was the possibility of seeing the original cast return. Timothée Chalamet and Armie Hammer became inseparable from Elio and Oliver, and it was difficult to imagine anyone else stepping into those roles. At the time, Luca Guadagnino had spoken about wanting to work with the same actors again, which made the idea of continuity especially appealing.
2. A darker emotional tone
Guadagnino had suggested that any continuation would move into more difficult emotional territory. Set years later, the story would inevitably reflect a changed world, including themes that the first film deliberately avoided by shifting its timeline. The idea of a sequel promised a heavier, more somber chapter — one that would test the characters in new ways.
3. Looking back through memories
It later emerged that a much longer version of Call Me by Your Name once existed, with scenes that never made it into the final cut. Fans speculated that these moments could resurface as flashbacks in a follow-up film, allowing Elio and Oliver to revisit shared memories from their past.
4. Oliver’s point of view
While Call Me by Your Name is firmly rooted in Elio’s perspective, André Aciman’s Find Me shifts the focus at times, giving Oliver his own voice. A sequel raised the possibility of seeing the story expand beyond Elio’s experience, adding new layers to a character who often remained enigmatic in the original film.
5. New relationships, new directions
Guadagnino had openly resisted defining Elio too narrowly, suggesting that his emotional and romantic life was still evolving. The idea of a sequel allowed room for new relationships, changed dynamics, and the complexity that comes with time and distance — not only between Elio and Oliver, but with others who enter their lives.
6. Watching Elio grow up
Perhaps the most intriguing idea was seeing Elio years later, no longer a teenager but an adult shaped by what he experienced that summer. Timothée Chalamet’s growth as an actor made the prospect especially compelling, inviting fans to imagine how Elio’s sensitivity and intensity might translate into adulthood.
Even without a sequel, these reasons remain part of why Call Me by Your Name continues to resonate. The film opened up possibilities that lived on in conversations, interviews, and imagination — and perhaps that lingering sense of “what could have been” is part of what keeps the story alive.