Blade Runner prequel/sequel

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io9 wrote:What can we expect from the new Blade Runner movie? We asked the producers

Yesterday we learned that the rights Blade Runner was getting a sequel or a prequel. We spoke with the producers behind this project, and asked them your burning questions. So, will it be Blade Runner 2 or Blade Runner Origins?

We spoke with the producers of the new Blade Runner film: Andrew Kosove, Broderick Johnson and Bud Yorkin. And here's what they told us.

Will this movie be a prequel or a sequel?

Kosove: We don't know, we just don't know yet. When we know, we'll let you know. We don't know yet it's too early. The only way to answer that is to say that we will have a process where we will hear hear different ideas from writers or potentially directors who we will bring in, in combination with the writers, before determining. We could be open to either a prequel or a sequel.

Why did you want the rights to Blade Runner?


Johnson: It's one of your favorite films, and we throughout that the universe that has been created here, is one that's complete with ideas and possibilities. We're intellectually fascinated and stimulated to explore the themes that the movie invokes and the underlying material. At the end of the day those are the things that make great movies. Those and characters and whatnot, it's an opportunity of a life time to try and explore this further?

What sort of stories do you think Blade Runner opened up that it didn't get to address?

Kosove: That's an interesting question. I think for us, one of the things that made this so timely is the fact that we're all living and we're kind of blessed to live in what is essentially the industrial revolution age for technology. And it's changing at such a rapid pace. Because of that, and because of the fact that Philip K. Dick is quite brilliant at imagining a world that maybe doesn't exist but is very quickly getting here. There are opportunities to think about either what our world will be like in our almost immediate near future. Or to think about what the world is after Blade Runner, because we have things that have come into our being, things that are a part of our consciousness now that we couldn't have imaged many years ago.

I was down in Dallas airport a couple weeks ago, and there was a robot who was going through the airport and was cleaning. But it was having conversations with people that were fluid conversations. It was quite extraordinary, and at that point I knew that we were on the verge of getting involved with this [Blade Runner film], and I thought [about] how fast the world is advancing and how possible Philip K. Dick's ideas were, and how much material was there to mine for the project, either the prequel or sequel.

It's interesting that you would mention the world before or after Blade Runner. The film was set in 2019, that's not very far away. Have you thought about how you're going to handle the date?

Kosove: That's part of a prequel and a sequel, right? If you do a prequel it's going to be in the very near future. So I think my point to you is that the very near future could seem profoundly different than the world we're living in today. Just like the world we're living in today is profoundly different from the world eight years ago. I don't think a prequel is out of the question, and at the same time we're open to a sequel. Alcon's process for the last number of years has always been about the quality of filmmakers that we've had the privilege of working with, and being open to ideas and creating an open environment. We're open to hearing ideas and then we'll make a determination as to what direction we're going to go.

Well we'd rather have a hypothetical conversation and just get the juices flowing. Can we at least discuss whether or not you'd be excited to film the bloody Replicant mutiny that Blade Runner teased in the intro? That kind of back story, like what happened that made them illegal

Kosove: That could be a phenomenal and fascinating way to go. Let me say this to you: the Pentagon is exploring all kinds of ways to engage in combat, without having to use actual human beings. You see it with the use of drones. The logical extension of that is exactly the world that Philip K Dick imagined, which is coming to a point where something that was not human is being charged to do tasks that we don't want human beings to do. And what if there was a degree of humanity in these "people," and how would they respond? So the idea that you just suggested, would be a fantastic way to lead into the movie. And that's why we need to approach that with an open mind.

There's a wealth of material just mentioned casually when they introduce the Replicants — "Oh, she's a pleasure model, he's a combat droid." It's wide open.

Bud Yorkin: We are going to have Replicants, obviously. That's part of what we started with originally. We're certainly going to have Replicants involved. By the way, Replicants can be any number of ways, and involved in the way humans work and live. Replicants will be different in the end somewhere. And you're right, that's part of the area that we will be involved with.

Have you reached out to Ridley Scott?

Kosove: The answer to that question is as follows. I'm going to answer it very briefly — we won't say if we've reached out to Ridley Scott or not, but what we will say is that Ridley Scott's blessing to what we're doing is very important to Alcon. It's important to Bud [Yorkin], and certainly we have the greatest degree of respect to him as a filmmaker. He's one of the greatest living directors and one of the greatest directors of all time. so of course he's very important.

When we posted the news, reactions were split right down the middle. Some fans felt this could be good, because we have to we have the technology to make this really fascinating. And then there were a lot of people worried that Hollywood was going to ruin the legacy of Blade Runner. Can you address those fans' concerns?

Kosove: I would really appreciate it if you guys could clarify something: Alcon is not owned by Warner Bros. None of this is being paid by WB. We are a wholly independent financial and production company. Our relationship with Warner, which is very strong, runs back to the earliest years of our company. They're the distributor on all of our movies. First of all, we're paying for everything, but second of all — and this a way of answering maybe partially the concerns of your fans — this may work, or it may not work. We may make this movie, but in truth it may never get made.

But what I can tell you for certain today is that we will not go about this process in some form of large group think where 15 execs are going to sit around a table micromanaging the creative talent. Broderick and I will meet with writers and directors and we will figure out what direction we want to go and what story we believe in.

And then we will have them the artistic autonomy to go out and make a great movie and I think what ever success we've had at Alcon whether it was helping Chris Nolan's career with Insomnia, or working with the Hughes bros on Book of Eli or Jonathan Hancock with Blind Side — that philosophy of believing in filmmakers, giving them some parameters and then letting them do their jobs, has served us very very well. And it's how we'll approach this process. I don't know how better to answer the question than that.

Do you have any pie in the sky writers or directors that in a perfect world would sign on tomorrow?

Kosove: Pie in the sky? Yeah our friend Chris Nolan who we did Insomnia [with] would be in the pie in the sky for us.

That's good to hear. That means you're going for the gritty realism that was in the original.

Kosove: To be clear I think what Chris Nolan did — and to be clear, we cannot remake Blade Runner. As a legal matter, we have not bought the remake rights we have no interest in remaking it we can only do prequels or sequels. But I think the methodology that Chris Nolan brought to Batman is precisely what we aspire to whomever the filmmaker is, whether Ridley comes back and joins us or it's someone else. It's precisely what we aspire to with Blade Runner, that's the template for us.
wow.

original blade runner thread here

Re: Blade Runner prequel/sequel

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io9 wrote: Kosove: We don't know, we just don't know yet. When we know, we'll let you know. We don't know yet it's too early. The only way to answer that is to say that we will have a process where we will hear hear different ideas from writers or potentially directors who we will bring in, in combination with the writers, before determining. We could be open to either a prequel or a sequel.
Yeah, that's a good reason to make a film. Not because you actually have an idea for one but just because you can.
Just cut them up like regular chickens

Re: Blade Runner prequel/sequel

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This project is cooking along:
Ridley Scott to direct new ’Blade Runner,’ producers say
By Steven Zeitchik
Los Angeles Times

LOS ANGELES — Ridley Scott will direct a follow-up to his 1982 cult-classic “Blade Runner,” producers on the new film said Thursday.

The untitled movie is not considered a remake but will take the form of either a sequel or a prequel to the science-fiction original, said Alcon Entertainment, the Hollywood company that had previously acquired rights to the first movie as well as the Phillip K. Dick novel on which it was loosely based. A screenwriter is expected to be hired shortly, and the aim is to enter production in 2013, Alcon said.

The original “Blade Runner,” which underperformed at the box office but found an audience on home video and television, starred Harrison Ford as Rick Deckard, a police officer in a dystopian Los Angeles hunting for illegal “replicants,” robots who are barely distinguishable from humans. Ford is not expected to be involved in the new version.

Alcon principals said that they expected Scott to make a movie that stood apart from the original. “Everything Ridley does as a filmmaker is fresh,” said partner Andrew Kosove. “I believe he sees an opportunity to create something that’s wholly original from the first ’Blade Runner.”’

Scott recently completed “Prometheus,” a follow-up to another one of his early classics; that movie, a new take on the 1979 hit “Alien,” will come out in June.
No doubt this travesty will be shot in 3-D as well, like Prometheus.

When do we get the revamped Someone to Watch Over Me or White Squall? Huh?
This is a snakeskin jacket. And for me it's a symbol of my individuality and my belief in personal freedom.

Re: Blade Runner prequel/sequel

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jcdc wrote:*sigh* I think it's high time that Citizen Kane got a sequel. Citizen Kane: Resurrection
FTW! Directed by Welles' bloated rotting corpse!
"I'm like a dog chasing cars, I wouldn't know what to do if I caught one. . . . I'm not a schemer. I just do things."

Re: Blade Runner prequel/sequel

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O-dot wrote:This project is cooking along:
Ridley Scott to direct new ’Blade Runner,’ producers say
By Steven Zeitchik
Los Angeles Times

LOS ANGELES — Ridley Scott will direct a follow-up to his 1982 cult-classic “Blade Runner,” producers on the new film said Thursday.

The untitled movie is not considered a remake but will take the form of either a sequel or a prequel to the science-fiction original, said Alcon Entertainment, the Hollywood company that had previously acquired rights to the first movie as well as the Phillip K. Dick novel on which it was loosely based. A screenwriter is expected to be hired shortly, and the aim is to enter production in 2013, Alcon said.

The original “Blade Runner,” which underperformed at the box office but found an audience on home video and television, starred Harrison Ford as Rick Deckard, a police officer in a dystopian Los Angeles hunting for illegal “replicants,” robots who are barely distinguishable from humans. Ford is not expected to be involved in the new version.

Alcon principals said that they expected Scott to make a movie that stood apart from the original. “Everything Ridley does as a filmmaker is fresh,” said partner Andrew Kosove. “I believe he sees an opportunity to create something that’s wholly original from the first ’Blade Runner.”’

Scott recently completed “Prometheus,” a follow-up to another one of his early classics; that movie, a new take on the 1979 hit “Alien,” will come out in June.
No doubt this travesty will be shot in 3-D as well, like Prometheus.

When do we get the revamped Someone to Watch Over Me or White Squall? Huh?
As discussed elsewhere, such a stunning filmography to sift through :jerk:
"I'm like a dog chasing cars, I wouldn't know what to do if I caught one. . . . I'm not a schemer. I just do things."

Re: Blade Runner prequel/sequel

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officially a sequel now, this is plodding along...
Speakeasy wrote:Ridley Scott Says He’ll Direct ‘Blade Runner’ Sequel

Film director Ridley Scott plans to film a follow-up to his groundbreaking 1982 film, “Blade Runner.”

In an interview with Speakeasy, Scott said he is on board to direct a “Blade Runner” follow-up and has been interviewing writers who can help him with the screenplay. Scott says the new project is “liable to be a sequel.”

Scott, 74 years old, recently finished shooting the sci-fi movie “Prometheus” and is an executive producer of a new TV series on Discovery Communications Inc.’s Science Channel, “Prophets of Science Fiction.”

Earlier this year, production company Alcon Entertainment said it was planning a new “Blade Runner” project with Scott at the helm, but it didn’t reveal whether it would be a prequel or sequel to the original film.

“Blade Runner” devotees may not have to wait long for the new movie. “I think I’m close to finding a writer that might be able to help me deliver,” Scott says, “we’re quite a long way in, actually.”

The original film was inspired by sci-fi writer Philip K. Dick’s novel, “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” and told the grim story of Rick Deckard, a “blade runner” who hunts down “replicants” — androids who long to live free lives. Scott says Dick, who he says was “stressed” when he met him, found a romanticism in his pessimism. And similarly, “Blade Runner” didn’t offer a romantic view of the future.

“That’s why I think I was so unpopular” when the film was released, Scott says, because at the core of the film is a story about mortality. “Even though people think it’s a cool Philip Marlowe film with Deckard played by Harrison Ford,” he says, “the film is very much about humanity.”

Scott says the new “Blade Runner” project is moving ahead “not with the past cast, of course.” No Deckard? “No, not really,” he says.

Re: Blade Runner prequel/sequel

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Maybe Scott could make another film set in the Blade Runner universe, but not a direct sequel, as he did with Alien and Prometheus. Which would more or less make him someone who should be directing straight to video sequels but somehow gets a bigger budget.
Just cut them up like regular chickens

Re: Blade Runner prequel/sequel

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Ridley Scott describes the opening shots of Blade Runner 2:

There'll be a vast farmland where there are no hedges or anything in sight, and it's flat like the plains of — where's the Great Plains in America? Kansas, where you can see for miles. And it's dirt, but it's being raked. On the horizon is a combine harvester which is futuristic with klieg lights, ‘cause it's dawn. The harvester is as big as six houses. In the foreground is a small white clapboard hut with a porch as if it was from Grapes of Wrath. From the right comes a car, coming in about six feet off the ground being chased by a dog.
And that's the end of it, I'm not gonna tell you anything else.
"I'm like a dog chasing cars, I wouldn't know what to do if I caught one. . . . I'm not a schemer. I just do things."

Re: Blade Runner prequel/sequel

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THR wrote:Harrison Ford Sought to Reprise Classic Role for 'Blade Runner' Sequel

Alcon announced Thursday it is seeking Harrison Ford to reprise his role of Rick Deckard for its sequel to Blade Runner.

Ridley Scott is attached to direct the project, which has a script by Hampton Fancher (co-writer of the 1982 adaptation) and Michael Green.

In a joint statement, Alcon co-founders Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove said: “We believe that Hampton Fancher and Michael Green have crafted with Ridley Scott an extraordinary sequel to one of the greatest films of all time. We would be honored, and we are hopeful, that Harrison will be part of our project.”

The company, which is in pre-production on the Point Break remake, is keeping the plot hidden in off-world colonies. The story is known to take place several decades after the events seen in the original movie.

Alcon has been developing the sequel since acquiring all television and ancillary franchise rights in 2011 from producer Bud Yorkin. The company has explored ideas of prequels and sequels.

It is unclear when Alcon hopes to go into production. Ford is days away from the beginning of principal photography for Star Wars: Episode VII. Scott recently came on to direct 20th Century Fox’ outer space adventure project, The Martian, which is to star Matt Damon.

Yorkin will serve as a producer on the sequel along with Kosove and Johnson. Cynthia Sikes Yorkin will co-produce.

Frank Giustra and Tim Gamble, CEO’s of Thunderbird Films, will serve as executive producers.

Re: Blade Runner prequel/sequel

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/film wrote:Ridley Scott Won’t Direct ‘Blade Runner 2,’ Which Shoots in 2015

What would a director change do to your interest in more Blade Runner? The prospect of Ridley Scott coming back as director for Blade Runner 2 seemed like one of the only points that stood in the film’s favor. Then came Prometheus, and even the idea of Scott directing started to seem not so great. The director has continued to develop Blade Runner 2 alongside a sequel to Prometheus. He has made the films The Counselor (released last year) and Exodus: Gods and Kings, which hits soon, and will shoot The Martian next. So how will he make the sequel in question? Simple: Ridley Scott won’t direct Blade Runner 2.

A new director will make Blade Runner 2, and the film is planned to shoot in 2015. As to the question of whether or not Harrison Ford might still show up in the sequel, Scott says to expect the actor, but only for the film’s third act, as the movie is about “finding [Deckard].”

Variety talked to Scott as he stumped for attention for Exodus. The subject of Blade Runner 2 naturally came up, and Scott mentioned briefly the work he has done with Hampton Fancher on the script:

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.

But the interesting bit isn’t actually in a quote from Scott, but in a bit of text from Variety:

Per Scott, that Alcon Entertainment production should go before the cameras within the next year, but with someone else directing (he’ll produce).

So who will direct? And why would anyone want to step into that role? We’ll find out sometime in the future; as yet the identity of the new director is under wraps, if a decision has even been made.

As for the wisdom of making the film, sure, people have spent the last few decades making their own versions of Blade Runner. But why would anyone other than Scott want to take a job that is likely to bring intense and even unfair scrutiny down on the individual in the big chair? Blade Runner was always a film that seemed to exist just fine without a sequel; only Scott returning to direct make any real sense.

Re: Blade Runner prequel/sequel

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GeekTyrant wrote:Roger Deakins Will Shoot BLADE RUNNER 2

When you hear the words "Blade Runner," you probably picture dark wet streets, bright neon advertisements, flying cars, Japanese-infused culture, and long trenchcoats. It's one of the most influential movies ever made, and it drastically altered the future of science fiction when it was released in 1982. More than anything else in regards to that film, people remember the visuals. That's a lot of pressure for the person tasked with filming the sequel, but if there's one man alive who may be able to live up to it, that would be Roger Deakins. Thankfully, The Playlist reports he's the man who's been chosen to shoot the still-untitled Blade Runner 2.

Deakins is one of the best cinematographers of all time, responsible for films like The Shawshank Redemption, Fargo, The Big Lebowski, The Village, No Country For Old Men, The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford, and Skyfall. He's been nominated for an Oscar twelve times, but hasn't won yet. This could be his chance.

Denis Villeneuve (Enemy) is directing Blade Runner 2, which is set to star Harrison Ford and possibly Ryan Gosling. Deakins shot Villeneuve's previous two films, Sicario (the awesome-sounding thriller starring Emily Blunt that's currently playing at Cannes) and Prisoners, so the two clearly have a solid working relationship already. I can't wait to see what they come up with for a Blade Runner sequel.

Re: Blade Runner prequel/sequel

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sounds like it's definitely a sequel, and they are pretty confident with it.
Variety wrote:‘Blade Runner’ Sequel Moves to October 2017

With pre-production in high gear, Alcon Entertainment has decided to move up the release date of its “Blade Runner” sequel from January 2018 to October 2017.

Alcon is now set to release the pic on Oct. 6, 2017, shifting it from its original date of Jan. 12, 2018. Harrison Ford is set to return as Det. Rick Deckard and Ryan Gosling and Robin Wright are set to co-star in the film from “Sicario” director Denis Villeneuve.

The sequel, set several decades after the original, is written by Hampton Fancher and Michael Green, and succeeds the initial story by Fancher and David Peoples based on Philip K. Dick’s novel “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep.” Story details are not being revealed.

Warner Bros. is handling domestic distribution and Sony will handle international distribution.

Multi-Oscar nominated cinematographer Roger Deakins will reunite with Villeneuve on the project.

Alcon Entertainment acquired the film, television and ancillary franchise rights to “Blade Runner” in 2011 from the late producer Bud Yorkin and Cynthia Sikes Yorkin to produce prequels and sequels to the iconic science-fiction thriller. Cynthia Sikes Yorkin will produce along with Johnson and Kosove. Bud Yorkin will receive producer credit.

Ridley Scott will serve as Executive Producer. Frank Giustra and Tim Gamble, CEO’s of Thunderbird Films, will also serve as executive producers along with Bill Carraro.