Denis Villeneuve Talks Blade Runner 2049 And The Pitfalls That Come With Revisiting Great Franchises
The past few years have completely changed the narrative for Denis Villeneuve as he now stands tall claiming the title of the king of Hollywood. Dune Part Two hit the box office in style and is positioned as the cornerstone franchise of Warner Bros now. But let’s take it back to 2017, when the director was working on what can only be described as a very bold undertaking, the task of remaking Ridley Scott’s iconic Blade Runner with Blade Runner 2049. Great film, a visual masterpiece in many ways but it didn’t do the numbers that were initially pegged and for Villeneuve, the challenge of following up on a film that has achieved such a cult status is one that is often complex.
Why it Was Necessary for Villeneuve to Take the Challenge and Direct ‘Blade Runner 2049’
Villeneuve had a lot to say regarding his reasons for making Blade Runner 2049 in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter. As in many other cases, he devoted his entire work on faced with the daunting challenge of the 1982 classic:
“I was very close to the project. I made infinite sketches for him.”
The world of the original Blade Runner was never out of his head when making it, a fact that was unsurprisingly irritating to him about the sequel, calling it “a love letter to the first film.” But this undying love for the original also meant that the entire undertaking was perhaps one of the toughest in his career.
The Burden of Being Unfaithful to a Sci-Fi Classic
Villeneuve expressed that the impact of ‘Blade Runner’ is so massive that he cannot escape.* :
“I kept in my mind the first film when I was doing ‘Blade Runner 2049.’ It was hard not to think about it. This is probably one of the hardest projects I have so far worked on, and I dont envisage working in another person’s universe again. I sometimes still have such dreams and turn and say, ‘How did I do that?’”
In this case, Blade Runner 2049 did receive accolades for its visuals and its engaging storyline as well as adding onto the themes of the original, though it was over-promised, recovering only 267.5 million dollars out of an estimate 150 million dollars budget.
From Deckard to Atreides: Resuscitating Dizaster Villeneuve with ‘Dune’
To make things even better, Villeneuve has found peace and prosperity in Dune. According to him, the film adaptation of the Frank Herbert novel has been his dream project as he has described it as “a teenage fantasy.” Recalling his experience, Villeneuve thanked the:
‘Technically and cinematic, this was the most difficult moment of my life but every time I wake up in the morning, I feel grateful to be provided the opportunity to make this adaptation.’
Villeneuve’s reputation is unquestionably cemented with Dune: Part Two breaking worldwide records and speculation of concluding the Atreides trilogy with Dune Messiah. He has cemented himself as a clear standout of his generation.
No More Deckards, But Plenty of Atreides
Even though Villeneuve will most probably not delve into the Blade Runner universe or any other existing IP, that doesn’t curtail his desire for narratives and world creation. Viewers may expect to see the end of his Dune saga and who knows what more original visions he has up his sleeve.