Sequels and reboots are standard practice for Hollywood today, but Blade Runner is a sacred film.
Arguably one of the greatest films of all time, beloved by fans of science fiction and people who just like good movies, there was a collective wince when it was announced that there was going to be a sequel to Blade Runner.
No one was begging to find out what happened to Deckard at the end of the film. No one was wondering what he’d be up to years later.
And yet, here we are, with Blade Runner 2049 due to arrive in cinemas next year. The teaser trailer just dropped today, and it gives us our first look at Harrison Ford and Ryan Gosling in the movie.
The trailer doesn’t give away much of the plot, but sets up a very strong post-Blade Runner atmosphere, whilst retaining the look and feel of the original. Here’s the official synopsis:
Thirty years after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K (Ryan Gosling), unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what’s left of society into chaos. K’s discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a former LAPD blade runner who has been missing for 30 years.
Now obviously we can’t tell if the movie is going to be any good or not until we see it, but there’s a couple of indicators that give us hope. First, Harrison Ford is in it, because if he wasn’t, there would no hope or point. Second, Ryan Gosling typically makes good decisions when choosing roles and rarely lets us down with his performances.
Third, and most importantly, it’s directed by Denis Villeneuve, who made Sicario, Prisoners and Arrival. That’s a pretty strong CV, so if anyone can pull of a Blade Runner sequel, it’s him.
All we have to do now is wait. Are we the only ones who think they’re going to struggle with the wait?
