#How Blade Runner 2049 Became A Cautionary Tale

When Ridley Scott’s “Blade Runner,” based on the works of beloved author Philip K. Dick, was released in 1982, it was nothing short of a flop. To date, it has made just $39 million, which is not what a studio wants — not even in the ’80s — from an ambitious sci-fi flick starring Harrison Ford, especially from the guy who directed “Alien.” To make matters more complicated, the original theatrical version is by no means the definitive version, with “Blade Runner: The Final Cut” finally making its way to release years later. The original cut featured narration by Ford’s character Deckard, which was eventually removed, as one example of a major change that would be made over the years. It was a mess.

All of this to say, as much as time has been kind to “Blade Runner,” it was not a hit in its day. It was always a heady sci-fi play, not at all a crowd-pleaser like “Star Wars,” or even the better of the “Star Trek” movies. It never screamed big-budget franchise — and it never should have. Be that as it may, the gears of Hollywood move in such a way that a sequel was eventually explored, originally with Scott set to return as the director.

Things truly got cooking when Alcon Entertainment scooped up the rights to the franchise, with the intent to make a sequel. In 2011, it was announced that Scott would direct the follow-up, and years of development followed. Eventually, commitments to “Alien: Covenant” prevented Scott from sticking to the director’s chair, though he did remain on board as an executive producer. Enter Denis Villeneuve, who was coming hot off of acclaimed hits “Prisoners” and “Sicario.” Ryan Gosling later boarded in the lead role, marking his first role in a major franchise. But the big get was Harrison Ford signing on to reprise his role as Deckard, especially coming off of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” which remains one of the biggest movies of all time. All of the pieces were in place for anyone who might want a “Blade Runner” sequel. The problem is, that audience, relative to the sizable number of moviegoers it takes to make a blockbuster a hit, was limited.