WHY BLADE RUNNER 2049 WILL GET A SEQUEL

BY LUKE WISHARD ● AUGUST 27, 2019

Blade Runner 2049 — a spectacle of high budget science fiction blended masterfully with a compelling narrative, characters, and deep thought-provoking questions about morality, nature, and what it means to be human. A sequel that truly does justice to its iconic predecessor Blade Runner.

And in an age of sequels, we can expect this universally praised film to receive a speedy sequel of its own, right?

Well… maybe.

Although critically acclaimed, Blade Runner 2049 didn’t exactly meet studio Alcon Entertainment’s box office goal of $400 million. Grossing only $240.6 million worldwide against a staggering production budget of around $320 million (including marketing costs).

However, despite this consequential blow at the box office, there is still reason to hope for a Blade Runner 2049 sequel!

CREATORS WANT A SEQUEL

Legendary filmmaker Ridley Scott — Executive Producer on Blade Runner 2049 and Director of the original Blade Runner — expressed to Digital Spy his interest in a possible third installment.

"I think there is another story. I've got another one ready to evolve and be developed, so there is certainly one to be done for sure."

And he’s not alone.

Blade Runner 2049 screenwriter Hampton Fancher and co-writer Michael Green had this to say to The Los Angeles Times when asked about more Blade Runner movies:

“I’ve certainly fantasized about it,” said Green. “But I kept it in the box of fantasy until we had this movie well in hand and knew that it landed well. At no point during the making of this were people concerned with building out the universe. All the focus was on: ‘Let’s make the best possible movie we can right now and then maybe, maybe dare to dream.’ I’m sure Hampton already has ideas, though.”

“Well, I didn’t before but I do now,” remarked Fancher. “In my script, Deckard died at the end, but you have him live. The first time Ridley and I ever considered doing a second ‘Blade Runner,’ in 1986 or whatever it was, I came up with an idea about Deckard and his next job — and it’s kind of horrifying what happens in my little fantasy. Now that Deckard lives, that idea is back in my head. But I’m not going to tell you what it is.”

new blade runner show GREENLIT

Looks like Alcon Entertainment isn’t ready to give up on the Blade Runner franchise just yet.

New reports reveal that an anime TV series entitled Blade Runner: Black Lotus will premier on Adult Swim and Crunchyroll sometime in the not-so-distant future.

Not much is known about the project, other than its 13 episode order and its inclusion of some known characters from the Blade Runner universe. But this is undoubtedly a great sign for anyone holding out hope for more Blade Runner movies and a clear indication that the franchise has some fight still left in it!

A massive FANbase

The original Blade Runner of 1982 is regarded by many as the best science fiction movie of all time and an important achievement in cinema history, changing movies and the science fiction genre forever. Its gritty realism, moody dystopian atmosphere, and immersive cyberpunk world has earned the franchise a massive cult following and inspired many filmmaker heavyweights including Christopher Nolan, James Cameron, Mamoru Oshii, and Blade Runner 2049’s director himself, Denis Villeneuve.

So, with the talent behind the franchise wanting more, a new Blade Runner TV series in the works from Alcon Entertainment, and a rabid fanbase, it’s only a matter of time before Blade Runner 2049 gets a sequel of its own.

— Let’s just hope we don’t have to wait 35 years this time.