The reviews are out, and thanks to the near universal critical acclaim, everyone can’t wait to see “Blade Runner 2049.” However, there’s one surprising name that’s in no rush to see the highly anticipated sequel: Hampton Fancher.
The screenwriter of the original “Blade Runner,” and co-writer on the followup, reveals that he has been pretty much outside the process for ‘2049.’ He turned in his work, and everyone went off to make the movie, and now, he’s wary — but excited — about the final result.
“I’m scared. I never asked to see it. I’ve been involved in it for a very long time. By the way, Alcon Entertainment has been great. Everybody has been. Like Denis [Villeneuve], everyone has been warm and welcoming and encouraging. It is rare in Hollywood,” Fancher told Science & Film. “This film has a feeling of camaraderie and good faith. They wanted me to go to Budapest but I couldn’t go. So now, I don’t know any more about the film than you know.”
“I wrote a treatment and first draft. Then Michael Green, who is wonderful and smart, wrote the shooting draft, the final script,” he added.
So, it sounds like Fancher knows the broad strokes of the story, but not how the finer details all shook out, but he has faith in the team who made the movie.
“Denis is everything; he’s strong and he’s soft, tender, smart and perceptive, inventive, knows a lot and listens a lot. There is nobody like him. And he’s actually sweet, you would never know that he was the guy who could direct ‘Sicario.’ There is so much muscle in that film, like Ridley [Scott]’s ‘Black Hawk Down.’ Denis is warm and transparent–he’ll tell you what he’s thinking and how he feels,” Fancher said.
“Blade Runner 2049” opens on Friday, and hopefully Fancher will get himself a ticket and enjoy the movie with the rest of us.