The idea of returning to the world of 1982 cult-classic Blade Runner is exciting enough itself but some details have emerged recently that should have fans fit to bursting with anticipation.
The original film by Ridley Scott was a magnificent brooding, film-noir megaplex that was deeply human despite its futuristic sci-fi story, set in 2019. Harrison Ford inhabited Rick Deckard, a bounty hunter charged with catching and killing escaped artificial humans called Replicants. It was dark, desperate, and mysterious. The overarching question being is Deckard also a Replicant? Debate has raged about this for years with Scott himself saying that Deckard is in fact a replicant but Ford has always maintained he’s human, so the issue remains.
The first bit of exciting news is that Harrison Ford will be reprising his role in the sequel, for how long we don’t know, and we assume that question will finally be put to rest. The sequel, co-written with Scott by Hampton Fancher, is set roughly thirty years after the original and is designed to be a traditional sequel that continues and makes progress on the existing story.
Ridley spoke to Cinema Blend about the enthusiasm he and Ford had for the project, saying the quality of the first film won’t dissipate on the second.
“I sent him [Ford] this [script] and he said it’s the best thing he’s ever read. It’s very relevant to what happened in the first one.”
As far as how the story will play out, details are being kept close to respective chests but Scott said Ford will be a big part of the new Blade Runner.
“We talked at length about what it could be, and came up with a pretty strong three-act storyline, and it all makes sense in terms of how it relates to the first one. Harrison is very much part of this one, but really it’s about finding him; he comes in in the third act.”
This point brings us to the next huge announcement. For if Deckard doesn’t appear until act three, what’s happening before that, who’s driving the narrative? It can now be confirmed that Ryan Gosling will lead Blade Runner as a central character. We can only speculate but it seems most likely that he will be another bounty hunter. In fact, if Deckard is a replicant the film would likely be a case of Gosling trying to track down and eliminate Ford as he goes from hunter to hunted. This is fantastic news as Gosling has always shaped as the type of actor who could be perfect for such a role. He has the cool, menace, and brooding handsomeness to become an iconic character in the Blade Runner universe. It’s just the type of movie that Gosling would lose himself in, and the potential for his character can be best seen for now in his work on Drive, Only God Forgives, and The Place Beyond The Pines, as well as his visually stunning directorial debut Lost River.
Gosling confirmed last week, joking to Collider that the rumours of his connection to Blade Runner were true but he couldn’t say any more.
“It’s exciting. If I say anything more there’s a chip in me that will explode.”
No news yet of who the female lead will be. Of course, the original included beautiful performances from Sean Young as Rachael and Daryl Hannah as Pris.
It will be interesting to see how this develops and whether there will be a significant female character. Even more intriguing is who would play such a character and be able to pull-off what Young and Hannah achieved with their magnetic performances as Replicants. Rachael, tragically was not even aware she wasn’t human.
The final and perhaps biggest piece of news is that, while Ridley Scott has co-wrote and will be producing the film, he won’t be directing. That honour and challenge will go to Canadian man of the moment Denis Villeneuve. Fresh off outstanding films Prisoners and Enemy, he once again delighted critics with his crime-thriller Sicario. He’s yet to make a bad film and his ability to excel with dark moods and atmospheres, and his masterful skill in creating tension make him almost the perfect fit for Blade Runner. Seeing the performances he has brought out of Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Benicio Del Toro makes Gosling’s appointment even more promising. He’s always been regarded as a wonderful actor and to put him to work with a truly great director can only be a recipe for success, as it was when he worked with Nicholas Winding Refn and Derek Cianfrance in previous films.
Additionally we’ve been treated to the opening scene of the movie from the screenplay, which you can read in full here. In short it features a barren farm, a giant of a man, and Harrison Ford.
With all this knowledge now on board, one can’t help but rub their hands together in anticipation. All the signs point to this film being just as good as the original, and with the modern taste of Gosling and Villeneuve it could very well be a new classic.
Are you excited about Blade Runner 2?