News culture “Why did I do that?” Blade Runner 2049 still haunts Denis Villeneuve…

Culture news “Why did I do that?” Blade Runner 2049 still haunts Denis Villeneuve…

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Making a sequel to a monument like Blade Runner, mission impossible?

Since his debut in 1998, the Canadian director Denis Villeneuve has accustomed us to particularly well-made films with more than fascinating subjects. Although it was mainly necessary to wait until 2015 for the general public to discover it with Sicario, he had already made a few other films that movie buffs know well. Today, Denis Villeneuve has achieved no less than 11 movies and suffice to say that they are all different. Some are completely original, others adaptations of novels or short stories, but in all cases, he always knew how to bring his own touch to the creations he undertook. In 2017, however, he tackled a universe that he particularly appreciated: Blade Runner.

As a reminder, Blade Runner is a 1982 science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott.. The latter was itself an adaptation of the novel Do androids all dream of electric sheep? by Phillip K. Dick and is still considered a pillar of sci-fi cinema today. There we found in particular Harrison Ford as Rick Deckard, a former police officer tasked with tracking down a group of rebel androids called replicants. While this universe seemed completely abandoned, Denis Villeneuve decided to integrate a sequel with the extremely difficult mission of respecting the spirit of Ridley Scott’s film while bringing a breath of fresh air 35 years later. Successful bet ? Maybe, but not without difficulty.

Denis Villeneuve still dreams of electric sheep

Seven years after the release of Blade Runner 2049, it is quite easy to take stock and agree that this sequel has managed to overcome all the difficulties that its creation posed. However, at the time of realizing it, it was not really obvious to Denis Villeneuve. Despite undeniable talent and very well-placed motivation, the Canadian director actually felt a very heavy weight on his shoulders. Questioned by the Hollywood Reporter on this subject, he declared:

Blade Runner is one of my favorite films, and it’s an absolute masterpiece. Ridley Scott is one of my favorite directors, and even though he gave me his blessing, it was very important for me to hear and see in his eyes that he was okay with me making this sequel. But I was constantly thinking about the original movie while making Blade Runner 2049. It was impossible not to think about it.

Even if Blade Runner 2049 was not Denis Villeneuve’s first adaptation, it is clear that the latter was particularly close to his heart. It’s difficult to make your own film when you constantly think about respecting the one at the origin of everything, especially when you love your director and the latter is still alive and active.

Blade Runner 2049 was a true love letter to the first film, but it was also by far the hardest project I’ve ever done, and I don’t think I’d adapt someone else’s universe to new. I still wake up sometimes at night thinking “Why did I do that?” I turned down a few other projects of this size, but at that moment I said to myself “This is a crazy project, but it’s worth the risk of losing everything”.

If we completely understand the concerns he may have had when making Blade Runner 2049, we must admit that the spectators are lucky that he finally decided to do it. Better yet, while he didn’t think he’d tackle anyone else’s universe anytime soon, he finally followed up with the film adaptation of Dune. What better than another pillar of science fiction to confirm everything? As a reminder, the second part of Dune is still currently in theaters.