The original is considered a science-fiction classic, but as ‘Blade Runner‘ gears up for a belated sequel, even its director thinks the new film can’t outshine the 1982 outing…
Director Denis Villeneuve has perhaps confirmed sci-fi fans’ legitimate concerns by announcing that “it’s not possible” that Blade Runner 2 will “…live up to the original.”
Villeneuve, who is renowned for his back catalogue of action films such as Enemy, Sicaro and Incendies, made the claims at the Venice Film Festival earlier this week.
“First of all, it’s not possible to live up to the original. It’s Ridley Scott. It’s one of the best sci-fi films, one of the best films in the past 50 years,” the director said. “For me, what terrorises me right now is what I’m doing is taking Blade Runner and making it my own, and that is horrific… It’s still the same universe, we are still in the same dream, but it’s mine, so it’s like I have no idea how you people will react,” he said, of the yet untitled sequel.
Despite his reservations, Villeneuve has been in the limelight for all the right reasons this month, as his most recent film Arrival has wowed critics at festivals across the world.
Blade Runner was originally released in 1982 and is a modified film adaptation of the 1968 novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K Dick. As well as claiming a place in cult history, the film won a British Academy Film Award for Best Production Design, a Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation and London Film Critics’ Circle’s Special Achievement Award.
In 2010, Blade Runner claimed the top spot in The Guardian’s Top 10 Sci-fi Films of All Time, and in 2014 the film came 11th in Empire’s The 301 Greatest Movies of All Time.
Blade Runner 2 – the only title the production has so far – will see the return of Harrison Ford alongside Ryan Gosling, Robin Wright and Jared Leto.
The long-awaited sequel will be released in October next year.
