EDITORIAL: Denis Villeneuve To Bring Back 'Blade Runner' For A New Generation

Blade Runner 2049 is one of the most interesting films coming out next year. It is being directed by acclaimed filmmaker Dennis Villeneuve (whom we've been talking about all week), shot by iconic cinematographer Roger Deakins, and will even see Harrison Ford return to reprise his role as Rick Deckard. Ford is joined by Oscar nominee Ryan Gosling, who I am sure will be the "hero" of the movie, while Ford plays a similar role to what he played in The Force Awakens.


Fresh off of playing The Joker in Suicide Squad, Oscar Winner Jared Leto will also appear in the film, as will House Of Cards star Robin Wright, Oscar Nominee Barkhad Abdi, rising star Mackenzie Davis, and Drax the Destroyer himself, Dave Bautista.

The cast is stacked and the behind the camera talent is impressive as well. As I said, Blade Runner 2049 is being directed by the brilliant Dennis Villeneuve, who has become a force of nature in Hollywood! From directing excellent films like Prisoners and Sicario, to the brilliant Sci-Fi film Arrival, which proves he can handle a film with VFX and big ideas, and have them pay off!

Also as I said, the cinematographer for Blade Runner 2049 is the incredible Roger Deakins, the iconic cinematographer famous for having 13 Oscar nominations and shooting films like The Shawshank Redemption, Kundun, No Country For Old Men, Skyfall, and Villenueve's films Prisoners and Sicario. The score is being done by Johan Johansson, a guy who is rising up the ranks, who also worked with Villenueve, scoring Sicario and, most recently, Arrival, which is certain to get him his second Oscar nomination.

Now you know who is making Blade Runner 2049, lets talk about whether or not audiences want to see a sequel to the 80s cult classic.

Back in 1982, Blade Runner was released to mixed reviews. Some critics felt the story was thin, but praised the visual effects. Fast forward to now, Blade Runner is hailed as a classic of the Sci-fi genre, and is in many people's top 10 of all time.

So, does the fact that people love the original Blade Runner, mean they'll rush out to see the sequel? If we are talking about folks in their 40s who saw the film when they were a kid, then yes, I think they probably will, but WB and Columbia also need teenagers to see the film, folks in their mid 20s, and that I think will be a tough sell. If I were marketing the film, I would re-release Blade Runner in IMAX 3D about a month before this new film is released, that way, millennials who maybe haven't seen the original film, can see it in IMAX 3D in all its glory.

Personally, I think Blade Runner 2049 will have similar box office returns to 2015s Mad Max: Fury Road, which garnered critical acclaim, and broke even with 372M worldwide at the boxoffice.

I don't think Warner Bros and Columbia (the studios distributing the film) are hoping for a Billion dollar film. Hopefully the film will have a "modest" budget, and make at least $400M... If the film is good, which I am assuming it will be!

Blade Runner 2049 is, personally, one of my most anticipated films of 2017. I can't wait to see Harrison Ford back as Rick Deckard! I can't wait to see that dingy, bleak world again! And I have full faith in Dennis Villeneuve! I think he is gonna knock it out of the park!

Blade Runner 2049 hits theaters on October 6, 2017.

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