Original Screenwriter Returns To BLADE RUNNER Sequel

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Hampton Fancher, who along with David Peoples co-wrote the screenplay to the Ridley Scott film Blade Runner from the Philip K. Dick novel, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, has got himself a new job.  Well, a new old job, writing the screenplay for Scott’s sequel to his own cult classic film.  It’s not difficult to imagine the studio bringing Fancher on board in order to lend this movie some “street cred,” and it’s also not difficult to imagine the blood-thirsty howls of die-hard fans of the original film have in no way been quelled by this move, including those you can hear right here at the Complex.

But just in case it does, let me add this log to the fire: I don’t like Blade Runner and I don’t really care if they make a sequel to it.

Oh, hear that?  It’s the sound of a bunch of car doors slamming as all of my film-nerd friends get into their cars simultaneously to come beat me up.

Well, bring it on.  For one thing, I’m not the kind of guy who has a lot of fit, muscular friends (believe it or don’t).  And for another, all of my reasons for not really caring are all kind of vague and half-hearted, so it’s not like you’re going to get a real argument out of me.  It’s just one of those movies that does nothing for me, unlike movies that I actively hate which everyone else loves, like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (don’t even get me started).

I’ve given Blade Runner several tries.  At the behest of interested parties, I’ve sat down with every director’s cut or editor’s cut or janitor’s cut they’ve put out in order to “give it a chance” (more like 27 chances).  Yes, the over-all look and feel of the film is very noir and dark and therefore right up my alley.  Yes, Rutger Hauer and William Sanderson and James Hong and a buncha other character actors I love are in it.  And yes, Harrison Ford is still a childhood idol of mine.

It’s a boring movie.  That’s the best I can do you.  And the sequel will be boring, too.  Even if Fancher and Scott intended the original to be the first in a series.  Hell, especially if they did.

Hey, here’s an idea: why not make a movie of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?  Y’know, sorta like what Boom! Studios did with their comic-book adaptation of the novel by Tony Parker?  I mean, given that Blade Runner film really went in a different direction, I’d be curious to see a more faithful film adaptation of that book, which I love dearly as I do nearly all of Dick’s work.  And then Blade Runner is left alone and everybody’s happy.  Right?

Right?

2 Comments

1. 

   Liam José

   May 19, 2012 at 4:35 am

   This just seems like the worst idea imaginable.
   And I’m a HUGE BR fan.

   Reply
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     Jimmy Callaway

     May 19, 2012 at 11:13 am

     I think it’s an only slightly better idea than ditching the fake animal angle from the novel.

     Reply