Ridley Scott to Direct New Blade Runner

[Saul]

Is this really going to happen? Back in 2007 there was talk of a direct sequel called "Metropolis involving Decker on the run and coming to terms with being a Replicant.
The other sequel idea was called “Blade Runner Down” based on the novels set after the movie. Lets not forget "purefold" also.

Better Scott directing this than some snot nose kid and writer with thoughts of rebooting it.

 

[Sean Aaron]

I'd much rather see someone make a more faithful adaptation of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep (NB this isn't a put-down of Blade Runner which is my fave film of all time).

 

[The Wormhole]

Shouldn't Ridley Scott be focusing on Prometheus as opposed to announcing another movie while that's still in development?

 

[Goliath]

Shouldn't Ridley Scott be focusing on Prometheus as opposed to announcing another movie while that's still in development?

Meh.

Now that the Coen brothers won't be directing an adaptation of The Yiddish Policemen's Union, I take all such announcements with a grain of salt.

Fool me twice, shame on me.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Shouldn't Ridley Scott be focusing on Prometheus as opposed to announcing another movie while that's still in development?

Man, that's an excellent point.

 

[Out Of My Vulcan Mind]

Shouldn't Ridley Scott be focusing on Prometheus as opposed to announcing another movie while that's still in development?

It's standard procedure for directors, especially A-listers, to have multiple projects in development at any one time. It's a necessary way of doing business so that they have a project ready to go when they're next available to make a new film.

Now that the Coen brothers won't be directing an adaptation of The Yiddish Policemen's Union, I take all such announcements with a grain of salt.

Fool me twice, shame on me.

All development news should be taken as projects that a director will potentially make rather than films he'll definitely make. Such is the nature of the business.

 

[C.E. Evans]

There were a couple of sequel novels to Blade Runner ("The Edge of Human," "Replicant Night," and "Eye of Talon"). They weren't written by Philip K. Dick, but they were considered official sequels as they continued Deckard's story.

Have you read any of these, and were they any good?

A friend of mine didn't really recommend them to me--said they ranged from average to disappointing--so I took a pass.

 

[Sean Aaron]

Writing a sequel to Androids Dream of Electric Sheep sounds potentially interesting, but writing a sequel to a film based on that novel sounds a bit weird.

 

[Kegg]

^
Marketing, like making books based on other media sci-fi titles - Star Trek, Star Wars, etc.

Though honestly Dick's books rarely lend themselves to sequels - the peeling away, the gradual dissolution of the surrounding reality is often the point.

Now that the Coen brothers won't be directing an adaptation of The Yiddish Policemen's Union,

Paul Giammati isn't going to star as Philip K. Dick in Owl in Daylight, Del Toro isn't doing Mountain of Madnes and now this.

My interest in a vaguely announced film title seems a kiss of death.

 

[Saga]

Shouldn't Ridley Scott be focusing on Prometheus as opposed to announcing another movie while that's still in development?

Prometheus is being edited now, but so far the Blade Runner project has only been announced. there isn't even a script or anything.

 

[Goliath]

Del Toro isn't doing Mountain of Madnes...

Wait...what?

My interest in a vaguely announced film title seems a kiss of death.

Curse you and your fatal interest, Kegg!

 

[Kegg]

Del Toro isn't doing Mountain of Madnes...

Wait...what?

Oh yeah. That's been kaput for a while now. He's doing something called Pacific Rim, instead, which is an original concept about Godzilla-type monsters or something.

But damnit I specifically bought The Yiddish Policeman's Union because I heard the Coens were doing a movie of it and... actually it was a really good novel, so I'm not complaining, but the fact it was a bloody good read - and both weirdly humourous and extremely Jewish in ways that play to the Coens' strengths - made be excited for the damn film.

Bah.

 

[RAMA]

Nevermind that. Syd Mead MUST be there or I'm waiting for the bargain bin.

Mark

Much Agreed!

I like the idea of setting a story in that universe rather any kind of continuation or prequel. That alone would make it ok with me.

RAMA

 

[The Nth Doctor]

I wasn't terribly keen on the whole "sidequel" idea before, and while I love Scott's work, I'm still not sure if this will be a good idea or not. As others have said, only time will tell with Prometheus.

 

[Goliath]

But damnit I specifically bought The Yiddish Policeman's Union because I heard the Coens were doing a movie of it and... actually it was a really good novel, so I'm not complaining, but the fact it was a bloody good read - and both weirdly humourous and extremely Jewish in ways that play to the Coens' strengths - made be excited for the damn film.

Bah.

I concur. It seemed like a perfect match.

But of course, it was too good to be true. Double bah.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Upon googling "sidequel", the first hit was http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sequel#Spin-off. Amazingly it's a reference to Blade Runner, but not the project we are discussing.

Screenwriter David Peoples described his film Soldier as a "sidequel" to Blade Runner (which he co-wrote).

I'd all but forgotten about Soldier, and never bothered with it. Is it really a sidequel, or is it just a blatant attempt to cash/crash in on the franchise?

 

[Deckerd]

If we can't get Vangelis back to score...let's get Bear McCreary.

Let's not.

 

[Reverend]

Upon googling "sidequel", the first hit was http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sequel#Spin-off. Amazingly it's a reference to Blade Runner, but not the project we are discussing.

Screenwriter David Peoples described his film Soldier as a "sidequel" to Blade Runner (which he co-wrote).

I'd all but forgotten about Soldier, and never bothered with it. Is it really a sidequel, or is it just a blatant attempt to cash/crash in on the franchise?

It's a sidequel in the sense that it's meant to take place in the same universe, though it's not something that's thrown in your face. What it amounts to is the central character being a veteran of Tannhauser Gate & the Shoulder of Orion and an old wrecked spinner being among the junk heaps on the planet he ends upon. I suppose you could make a case for the newer model genetically engineered soldiers seen in the film as early model replicants, but I don't recall any direct reference to the Tyrell Corporation. I could be misremembering of course, haven't see that film in yonks. Regardless, in terms of style and tone it's a completely different animal.

Depending on your definition of the term, one could consider the AvP films (dire though they are) as sidequels to both the Alien and Predator movies as they're intended to take place within the same fictional universe but have no direct connection to the plot and central characters of either films...but then on the other hand I suppose none of the Predator films have a connection with each other beyond the presence of the Predators themselves.

 

[ITL]

Del Toro isn't doing Mountain of Madnes...

Wait...what?

Oh yeah. That's been kaput for a while now. He's doing something called Pacific Rim, instead, which is an original concept about Godzilla-type monsters or something.

But damnit I specifically bought The Yiddish Policeman's Union because I heard the Coens were doing a movie of it and... actually it was a really good novel, so I'm not complaining, but the fact it was a bloody good read - and both weirdly humourous and extremely Jewish in ways that play to the Coens' strengths - made be excited for the damn film.

Bah.

And now I want to read The Yiddish Policeman's Union.

 

[23skidoo]

I sense a couple of Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter... sidequels?

At least in those cases there's plenty of source material available. There's something like 10-12 volumes of History of Middle Earth Books (including the Silmarillion) that could be drawn from, or a film focusing on Tom Bombadil. Harry Potter, likewise, could easily have a prequel (never mind sidequel) made based on backstory alone. In fact I'd put my money on the James and Lily story being the focus if they ever did a 9th film.

As for Blade Runner, it was loosely based on a single standalone novel. So coming up with a new story is probably going to be a challenge.

I like the fact Scott is going to do it, though. Rather him than some young guy who wasn't even born when the original came out and who thinks he can improve upon the original because, of course, everything old is bad, right? Damn thing's probably going to end up being in 3-D, though.

Alex