'Blade Runner' revisited
"Blade Runner" may become a sci-fi franchise, nearly 30 years after its original release.
The production company Alcon Entertainment has reportedly obtained the rights to the film about a man (Harrison Ford) seeking to terminate human replicants. Rather than simply remake the original, however, the heads of the studio say they are looking to launch possible prequels and sequels to the movie, based, like seemingly all sci-fi films, on a short story by Philip K. Dick.
The original was set in a then-distant future 2019, which raises the question: How far into the future would a new "Blade Runner" narrative take place?
Another question: Is this a good idea? Even if it's not, does it matter if fans grouse about it since studios will probably continue to exploit great films and try to make them new again?
And here's one more question that at least one actress is probably asking right now: Is there a part in one of these reboots for "Blade Runner" star Sean Young?
(Source: Variety via New York Daily News)
By
Jen Chaney
| March 3, 2011; 8:34 AM ET
Categories:
Movies, Pop Culture
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Noooooooooooooo!
Posted by: wiredog | March 3, 2011 8:51 AM | Report abuse
Weirdly, I just watched Blade Runner the other day, and noticed that it was really starting to show its age.
It could use a cleaning up. Sort of a remastering, but without the Han-shooting-second or ET's-hunters-don't-have-guns sort of detail changes. Please no more of that BS! But the film, story wise, does not seem dated. I think a remake of the film itself would be a terrible mistake.
I don't see it lending itself to a franchise very well. Possibly you could do episodic type prequel films with Deckard, since he starts the movie burnt out, maybe even doing the first replicants. But sequels? No. Not the way that movie ended. I just can't see the Deckard character moving forward. You might be able to expand the world and look into other replicant themes without Deckard, but I think the character is so central that you'd really need to come up with a powerful draw.
I thought the original short story Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep was terrible, which makes Blade Runner one of the rare exceptions to the movie/book paradigm.
Posted by: DCCubefarm | March 3, 2011 9:13 AM | Report abuse
Just don't do a remake and its all good.
Posted by: ozpunk | March 3, 2011 10:02 AM | Report abuse
It's sad that instead of coming up with something more orginial, Hollywood turns to sequels and pre-quels because the product is pre-sold.
Instead of re-making excellent films like Blade Runner, how about re-visiting the bad ones and improving them? Nowhere to go but up, right?
Posted by: ablasko73 | March 3, 2011 10:06 AM | Report abuse
Another interesting note: The movie is set, I believe, in the year 2019 -- which doesn't seem as far off in the future as it used to be!
Posted by: ablasko73 | March 3, 2011 10:14 AM | Report abuse
Sean Young = Ray Finkle (a la Ace Ventura: Pet Detective)
Posted by: steampunk | March 3, 2011 10:25 AM | Report abuse
Is the Bladerunner prequel series going to be animated like the Clone Wars thing my 9 yr old isn't watching?
Posted by: HardyW | March 4, 2011 12:02 PM | Report abuse
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