Blade Runner Reboot Close To Becoming A Reality

heisenberg

Earl Grey
This was inevitable. Previously there had been vague talks of a Blade Runner sequel which director Ridley Scott seemingly wanted nothing to do with. Now, Alcon Entertainment is working towards buying rights to the sci-fi classic in order to line up a reboot, says THR.

Currently, Bud Yorkin has the rights to the property in his back pocket, but Alcone is very close to acquiring the rights from him. Yorkin, who was an executive producer on Scott’s 1982 opus, intends to ditch the rights, but also will be sticking around as producer when the reboot finds its way to production. His wife Cynthia will co-produce the film.

It’s never good news to hear that one of your favorite films could potentially be shamed by a bad remake, but there is a silver lining. Alcon may just be blowing smoke to quell the masses, but they’ve released a statement to ease everyone’s nerves.

http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Blade-Runner-Reboot-Close-To-Becoming-A-Reality-23453.html
 

shavedape

Well Known GateFan
I'm not sure I want "Blade Runner" to be messed with. Sometimes they get it right the first time, ya know?
 

tetrion

GateFans Noob
Yet again, the coke headed Hollywood execs want to crap on another masterpiece, in the ever present pursuit of more $$$, more hookers and more coke. Give me a break. Lemme guess it will be Bay-fied CGI and T&A nonsensical extravaganza starring some unknown,wooden, pretty boy hack and some dimwitted, plastic surgery experiment with the acting ability of limp lettuce, romping around half naked, chewing the scenery... Kill me now!
 

Overmind One

GateFans Gatemaster
Staff member
Stinks of McG and Terminator 4.


I dunno...you cant just up and "do" a reboot of Blade Runner. For most science fiction fans, Blade Runner is in the top 5 best science fiction films of all time. THAT is probably why somebody wants to reboot it, because it proved itself over the decades in its following. But like the purchase of Terminator rights by McG turned into the abortion that was Terminator 4, any attempt at re-doing Blade Runner will fail unless done right. It will line somebody's pocket in production, but will fail miserably at the box office...much like Tron: Legacy is doing.

I'm not sure I want "Blade Runner" to be messed with. Sometimes they get it right the first time, ya know?

Im with you bro, I dont want them messing with Blade Runner. A failed reboot could tarnish the original's reputation. But then again, Tim Burton's Planet of the Apes is all but forgotten and is not at all considered to be PoTA canon. Terminator 4 is considered Terminator canon, but sucked in its execution. How the hell can you do Blade Runner again?

Yet again, the coke headed Hollywood execs want to crap on another masterpiece, in the ever present pursuit of more $$$, more hookers and more coke. Give me a break. Lemme guess it will be Bay-fied CGI and T&A nonsensical extravaganza starring some unknown,wooden, pretty boy hack and some dimwitted, plastic surgery experiment with the acting ability of limp lettuce, romping around half naked, chewing the scenery... Kill me now!

LMAO! You are right. They will do that Abercrombie and Fitch thing to it, everybody will be 20-something and there will be something added by the new producers that doesnt belong...sort of a "mark" to distinguish it from the original concept. FAIL (in advance). They will most likely overdo it, put it in 3D and sell ringtones from it and create a website and open a Facebook page and Twitter and have special edition McDonalds cups. :facepalm:
 

heisenberg

Earl Grey
Believe or not...Bladrunner isn't even my top 5. It's good but not "great" well IMO at least.

I dunno...you cant just up and "do" a reboot of Blade Runner. For most science fiction fans, Blade Runner is in the top 5 best science fiction films of all time. THAT is probably why somebody wants to reboot it, because it proved itself over the decades in its following. But like the purchase of Terminator rights by McG turned into the abortion that was Terminator 4, any attempt at re-doing Blade Runner will fail unless done right. It will line somebody's pocket in production, but will fail miserably at the box office...much like Tron: Legacy is doing.
:

I thought Tron: legacy did quite well in the box-office?

$169,753,832 (USA) (13 February 2011)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1104001/business
 

Tripler

Well Known GateFan
Well this would be such a tragedy to an otherwise classic movie but Hollyweird has run out of idea's and are desperate to try and make a fast buck . I am sure they will add a huge flying cop car chase scene with Nicholas Cage as the BladeRunner behind the wheel . (sarcasm) Ooooh, I am so wanting to see this.
I have the complete box set of BladeRunner with the bonus Flying Cop Car which I haven't even opened yet . I may one day . I have a single DVD that I will watch at least twice a year plus the soundtrack plus the game which I also played a few times .
Am I a fan? You bet ya . If they do a reboot I feel it will just go off into lala land of dvd's and be watched once and forgotten.
The original will always be enjoyed and treasured for countless years .
 

EvilSpaceAlien

Sinister Swede
Here's an idea. Instead of remaking a perfectly good movie, why not make that Rendezvous With Rama theatrical movie that people have been talking about for years? Huh? What do you say about that, Hollywood? Get back to me.
 

ChromeToasterX

GateFans Noob
You know what? I might not hate this if they go with Deckard as a human and ignoring Ridley Scott's BS about him being a Replicant, which massively undercuts the effectiveness of the film.
 

Overmind One

GateFans Gatemaster
Staff member
Considering its cost and target revenue goal, its being considered a failure...according to this.

Believe or not...Bladrunner isn't even my top 5. It's good but not "great" well IMO at least.



I thought Tron: legacy did quite well in the box-office?

$169,753,832 (USA) (13 February 2011)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1104001/business

Really? I was going by this article:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompson...fice_is_dipping_from_avatar_and_tron_legacy/#

But Tron‘s failure is inherent in its DNA. It played as a sequel to a Z-grade cult film, not the first chapter of a franchise. Disney wisely opted against re-releasing the original Tron on DVD in order to pump up interest in the property. Rather they pulled all copies off the store shelves, fearing that crowds would be put off by the 1982 version. Was Tron expected to break Avatar records? No, but Disney certainly didn’t commit to Tron thinking that they would end their domestic run at $170.4 million. With its slick sci-fi VFX, their aims for Tron were closer to Transformers‘s $300-million. And if Tron had turned that virtual estimate into a reality, 2011’s box office wouldn’t be falling so far behind 2010.

So, its not really considered a success when you look at the whole picture. I havent heard anyone speak highly about the film. Have you seen it yet? They danced on the canon pretty badly!
 

shavedape

Well Known GateFan
You know what? I might not hate this if they go with Deckard as a human and ignoring Ridley Scott's BS about him being a Replicant, which massively undercuts the effectiveness of the film.

Where is it in the original film? Even in the directors cut it's never a given that Deckard is a replicant. That was all just junk Ridley Scott posited in interviews, but never actually came out and said it on celluloid. The consensus is pretty much that Deckard is human.

And yes, it would suck if they did a remake and had it as a twist at the end that Deckard was a replicant. That would be lame. I also doubt they'll be able to recreate the fight scenes and make them any better than they were originally. I loved the Pris (Daryl Hannah) scene with Deckard! Again, sometimes you just shouldn't mess with the original. ;)
 

SexyDexy

GateFans Noob
So, its not really considered a success when you look at the whole picture. I havent heard anyone speak highly about the film. Have you seen it yet? They danced on the canon pretty badly!

Not to mention it's budget was 170 million...so they lost money because they paid a lot in advertising. I think the worldwide gross is about 300 million but I don't have any idea of what their potential profits are - I saw a lot of advertisements for it I think they spent a lot on marketing.

On the topic of Blade Runner...I've never seen it! I know, I know...I REALLY need to see it.
 

shavedape

Well Known GateFan

Overmind One

GateFans Gatemaster
Staff member
You are in for a treat!

Not to mention it's budget was 170 million...so they lost money because they paid a lot in advertising. I think the worldwide gross is about 300 million but I don't have any idea of what their potential profits are - I saw a lot of advertisements for it I think they spent a lot on marketing.

On the topic of Blade Runner...I've never seen it! I know, I know...I REALLY need to see it.

You owe yourself that movie! Rent it, pop popcorn and enjoy! :) Tron sucked. Thing is, the original wasnt all that good either. At least the original was imaginative, since it came out when the PC phenomena was still new and computers were still something that wasnt fully saturated in the mainstream. But today, most of the movie is based on silliness and marketing strategy. Why would they be wearing real clothes on The Grid? What was up with the "Isos"? The movie was close to the original, however. The rest of the movie was hollow IMO.
 

ChromeToasterX

GateFans Noob
Where is it in the original film? Even in the directors cut it's never a given that Deckard is a replicant. That was all just junk Ridley Scott posited in interviews, but never actually came out and said it on celluloid. The consensus is pretty much that Deckard is human.

And yes, it would suck if they did a remake and had it as a twist at the end that Deckard was a replicant. That would be lame. I also doubt they'll be able to recreate the fight scenes and make them any better than they were originally. I loved the Pris (Daryl Hannah) scene with Deckard! Again, sometimes you just shouldn't mess with the original. ;)
Have you seen any of the cuts with that unicorn dream sequence? The fact that Gaff leaves an origami unicorn for Deckard at the end is supposed to point to Deckard being a Replicant. I've also heard that there are a few scenes where Deckard has the Replicant eye shine.
 

shavedape

Well Known GateFan
Have you seen any of the cuts with that unicorn dream sequence? The fact that Gaff leaves an origami unicorn for Deckard at the end is supposed to point to Deckard being a Replicant. I've also heard that there are a few scenes where Deckard has the Replicant eye shine.

Yeah I remember all the talk about that stuff. It wasn't in the original version and it never really mattered to me if RS thought Deckard was a replicant. He probably just liked the idea of messing with our heads and getting people to talk about it. And look, here we are years later doing just that.

At any rate, they need to keep Deckard human if they do a remake. It would be dumb to have him fall in love with a replicant and then find out he is a replicant. The human/replicant love story was a big part of the plot.
 

heisenberg

Earl Grey
What can we expect from the new Blade Runner movie? We asked the producers

Will this movie be a prequel or a sequel?
Kosove: We don't know, we just don't know yet. When we know, we'll let you know. We don't know yet it's too early. The only way to answer that is to say that we will have a process where we will hear hear different ideas from writers or from potential directors who we will bring in, in combination with the writers, before determining. We could be open to either a prequel or a sequel.
Why did you want the rights to Blade Runner?
Johnson: It's one of our favorite films, and we thought that the universe that has been created here is one that's full of ideas and possibilities. We're intellectually fascinated and ready to explore the themes that the movie invokes and the underlying material. At the end of the day those are the things that make great movies. Those and characters, it's an opportunity of a life time to try and explore this further.
What sort of stories do you think Blade Runner opened up that it didn't get to address?
Kosove: That's an interesting question. I think for us, one of the things that made this so timely is the fact that we're all living, and we're kind of blessed to live in, what is essentially the industrial revolution age for technology. And it's changing at such a rapid pace. Because of that, and because of the fact that Philip K. Dick is quite brilliant at imagining a world that maybe doesn't exist but is very quickly getting here. There are opportunities to think about either what our world will be like in our almost immediate near future. Or to think about what the world is after Blade Runner, because we have things that have come into our being, things that are a part of our consciousness now that we couldn't have imaged many years ago.
I was in the Dallas airport a couple weeks ago, and there was a robot who was going through the airport cleaning. But it was also having conversations with people that were fluid conversations. It was quite extraordinary, and at that point I knew that we were on the verge of getting involved with this [Blade Runner film], and I thought about how fast the world is advancing and how possible Philip K. Dick's ideas were, and how much material was there to mine for the project, either the prequel or sequel.
It's interesting that you would mention the world before or after Blade Runner. The film was set in 2019, that's not very far away. Have you thought about how you're going to handle the date?
Kosove: That's part of a prequel and a sequel, right? If you do a prequel it's going to be in the very near future. So I think my point to you is that the very near future could seem profoundly different than the world we're living in today. Just like the world we're living in today is profoundly different from the world eight years ago. I don't think a prequel is out of the question, and at the same time we're open to a sequel. Alcon's process for the last number of years has always been about the quality of filmmakers that we've had the privilege of working with, and being open to ideas and creating an open environment. We're open to hearing ideas and then we'll make a determination as to what direction we're going to go.
Well we'd rather have a hypothetical conversation and just get the juices flowing. Can we at least discuss whether or not you'd be excited to film the bloody Replicant mutiny that Blade Runner teased in the intro? That kind of back story, whatever happened that made them illegal.
Kosove: That could be a phenomenal and fascinating way to go. Let me say this to you: the Pentagon is exploring all kinds of ways to engage in combat, without having to use actual human beings. You see it with the use of drones. The logical extension of that is exactly the world that Philip K. Dick imagined, which is coming to a point where something that was not human is being charged to do tasks that we don't want human beings to do. And what if there was a degree of humanity in these "people," and how would they respond? So the idea that you just suggested, would be a fantastic way to lead into the movie. And that's why we need to approach that with an open mind.
There's a wealth of material just mentioned casually when they introduce the Replicants — "Oh, she's a pleasure model, he's a combat droid." It's wide open.
Bud Yorkin: We are going to have Replicants, obviously. That's part of what we started with originally. We're certainly going to have Replicants involved. By the way, Replicants can be any number of ways, and involved in the way humans work and live. Replicants will be different in the end somewhere. And you're right, that's part of the area that we will be involved with.
Kosove: I think that there's a unique aspect of Blade Runner, and it is absolutely right to be re-address now at this time in human history. That is the concept of what it means to be a human being. What does it mean to be human, to have empathy, to have feelings? That fundamental concept, given the Blade Runner lore and what an iconic property it is, for us, an irresistible intellectual exercise to see if we can figure out what would be an immediate pre-chapter or a following chapter to Blade Runner. And that's why we've thrown our hat into the ring and we're blessed to be in business with them and Bud.
Have you reached out to Ridley Scott?
Kosove: The answer to that question is as follows. I'm going to answer it very briefly — we won't say if we've reached out to Ridley Scott or not, but what we will say is that Ridley Scott's blessing to what we're doing is very important to Alcon. It's important to Bud [Yorkin], and certainly we have the greatest degree of respect to him as a filmmaker. He's one of the greatest living directors and one of the greatest directors of all time. So of course he's very important.
When we posted the news, reactions were split right down the middle. Some fans felt this could be good, because we have to we have the technology to make this really fascinating. And then there were a lot of people worried that Hollywood was going to ruin the legacy of Blade Runner. Can you address those fans' concerns?
Kosove: I would really appreciate it if you guys could clarify something: Alcon is not owned by Warner Bros. None of this is being paid by WB. We are a wholly independent financial and production company. Our relationship with Warner, which is very strong, runs back to the earliest years of our company. They're the distributor on all of our movies. First of all, we're paying for everything, but second of all — and this a way of answering maybe partially the concerns of your fans — this may work, or it may not work. We may make this movie, but in truth it may never get made.
But what I can tell you for certain today is that we will not go about this process in some form of large group think where 15 executives are going to sit around a table micromanaging the creative talent. Broderick and I will meet with writers and directors and we will figure out what direction we want to go and what story we believe in.
And then they will have the artistic autonomy to go out and make a great movie. I think whatever success we've had at Alcon, whether it was helping Chris Nolan's career with Insomnia, or working with the Hughes Brothers on Book of Eli or Jonathan Hancock with Blind Side — that philosophy of believing in filmmakers, giving them some parameters and then letting them do their jobs, has served us very very well. And it's how we'll approach this process. I don't know how better to answer the question than that.
Do you have any pie in the sky writers or directors that in a perfect world would sign on tomorrow?
Kosove: Pie in the sky? Yeah our friend Chris Nolan who we did Insomnia [with] would be in the pie in the sky for us.
That's good to hear. That means you're going for the gritty realism that was in the original.
Kosove: To be clear I think what Chris Nolan did — and to be clear, we cannot remake Blade Runner. As a legal matter, we have not bought the remake rights we have no interest in remaking it we can only do prequels or sequels. But I think the methodology that Chris Nolan brought to Batman is precisely what we aspire to whomever the filmmaker is, whether Ridley comes back and joins us or it's someone else. It's precisely what we aspire to with Blade Runner, that's the template for us.
http://io9.com/#!5775760/what-can-we-expect-from-the-new-blade-runner-movie-we-asked-the-producers
 

shavedape

Well Known GateFan
Well it's good that they won't be messing with the original movie. I can deal with a prequel or sequel.
 

EvilSpaceAlien

Sinister Swede
Well it's good that they won't be messing with the original movie. I can deal with a prequel or sequel.

Indeed. A remake would've been idiotic but I think I can live with a prequel or sequel as long as it's good. And if it's not I can just ignore it.

Y'know this thread has actually given me the urge to rewatch Blade Runner so I just popped it in. Ah, that's some good friday night entertainment... :)
 

Mr. A

Super Moderator +
I'm hoping the remake will be in 3D! :P

Oh, and I'm sure they'll be able to fit in a teen love story in there somewhere...
 
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