At 88, Ridley Scott is still busier than filmmakers half his age, but there are clearly a few decisions from his long career that continue to bother him. One of the biggest? Somehow losing control of “Blade Runner,” the seminal 1982 sci-fi film he directed and a world he has repeatedly expressed interest in returning to.

Speaking to the Los Angeles Times while promoting “The Dog Stars” (read our review), Scott acknowledged that he has essentially watched the “Blade Runner” franchise move forward without him, including Prime Video’s upcoming “Blade Runner 2099.”

READ MORE: Ridley Scott Wishes He Chose To Make ‘Blade Runner 2049’ Instead Of ‘Alien: Covenant’

“I can’t blame my lawyers and my agents at that time, but somehow we let ‘Blade Runner’ go,” Scott said.

Continue reading Ridley Scott Regrets Losing ‘Blade Runner’ Franchise: “When You’re Not The Author Of The Actual Written Word, You Don’t Have A Piece” at The Playlist.

Many questions abound with “Dune: Part Two” now in theaters. Will it be the theatrical smash hit Warner Bros. expects it to be? Will it be so successful that Denis Villeneuve and his “Dune” cast have no choice but to expedite development on “Dune Messiah” and shoot it as soon as possible? And if not, where does Villeneuve go from here creatively? Maybe he pivots to his long-developing “Cleopatra” project, or instead to new project entirely?

Continue reading Denis Villeneuve Has “Four Projects On The Table,” But Won’t Work In “Someone Else’s Universe” Again Like ‘Blade Runner 2049’ at The Playlist.

Though it wasn’t a massive hit at the box office, Denis Villeneuve’s “Blade Runner 2049” is often regarded as one of the best sci-fi films of the past decade. That’s saying a lot, especially when you consider Ridley Scott wasn’t behind the camera. Instead, while “Blade Runner 2049” was being developed, Scott was working on his ill-fated ‘Alien’ prequel, ‘Covenant.’ And that’s a decision that still haunts the legendary filmmaker to this day.

Continue reading Ridley Scott Wishes He Chose To Make ‘Blade Runner 2049’ Instead Of ‘Alien: Covenant’ at The Playlist.

Amazon already has one giant fantasy series currently airing on Prime Video with “Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power.” Now they want to take over the streaming sci-fi market with “Blade Runner 2099,” a “Blade Runner” live-action sequel limited series, with Ridley Scott on board as executive producer.

READ MORE: ‘Blade Runner 2099’ Live-Action Sequel Series Lands At Amazon & Ridley Scott May Direct

Variety reports that Amazon has a formal order for the show after announcing its development in February.

Continue reading ‘Blade Runner 2099’: Amazon Orders Live-Action Sequel Limited Series With Ridley Scott On Board As Executive Producer at The Playlist.

With “Blade Runner 2049” and definitely “Dune,” Denis Villeneuve has cemented himself in the minds of many as a master filmmaker when it comes to big screen spectacle. That is a description that has also been given to director Christopher Nolan. So, you have to imagine that since both men seem to be on similar filmmaking wavelengths, they probably enjoy each other’s work.

Continue reading Christopher Nolan Calls ‘Dune’ “Extraordinary” & Praises ‘Blade Runner 2049’ In Conversation With Denis Villeneuve at The Playlist.

Denis Villeneuve is that most uncommon of contemporary filmmakers, to the degree where he’s pretty much a unicorn in Hollywood terms. Put more plainly, Villeneuve is one of a handful of noteworthy studio directors capable of re-imagining venerated properties in ways that shouldn’t work – like say, for instance, a sequel to Ridley Scott’s beloved “Blade Runner” or an epic take on Frank Herbert’s long-thought-to-be-unfilmable “Dune” – and making them sing onscreen.

Continue reading The Essentials: The Films Of Denis Villeneuve at The Playlist.

It’s been several years since Denis Villeneuve released “Blade Runner 2049.” At the time, the film was going to be Villeneuve’s big blockbuster franchise breakout, coming off acclaimed, but decidedly more mid-budget fare. Well, ‘2049’ hit with some critical raves but the box office was far from a success, seemingly sending the ‘Blade Runner’ franchise back to the shelf to gather dust. And according to Villeneuve, he was well aware of the “danger” taking on such a huge, complicated franchise project, and he’s just happy people still want him to make films now. 

Continue reading Denis Villeneuve Put Himself In “Massive Artistic Danger” Taking On ‘Blade Runner 2049’ But “Would Love To” Return at The Playlist.

“Dune” director Denis Villeneuve (“Arrival,” “Blade Runner 2049”) hasn’t shied away from giving his opinions on superhero projects with both dinging Marvel Studios films for “cutting and pasting” while also completing them by calling their hiring of Chloé Zhao for “Eternals,” a brilliant move.

READ MORE: Denis Villeneuve Would “Deeply Love” To Make A James Bond Movie & Calls Daniel Craig The “Ultimate” 007

During his chat on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, the French-Canadian director was asked about superhero movies, of course.

Continue reading Denis Villeneuve Says He’s Not Into Superhero Films, But “Could Connect” With Batman at The Playlist.

While many film fans think of the “Blade Runner” franchise in terms of the two feature films, “Blade Runner” and its sequel ‘2049,’ the cyberpunk story stretches through various novels, comics, short films, and an upcoming TV series, titled ‘Black Lotus.’ And because of this, Alcon Entertainment, the studio that owns the rights to the sci-fi franchise, has hired two people that have perhaps the best job in all of Hollywood—they are the timekeepers of “Blade Runner.”

READ MORE: Fall 2021 TV Preview: 38 Series To Watch

According to a discussion at this year’s TCA event promoting the upcoming ‘Black Lotus’ (via The Wrap), Alcon Entertainment’s co-founder and co-CEO, Andrew Kosgrove, talked about how the studio is able to keep all the continuity in the “Blade Runner” franchise in order.

Continue reading ‘Blade Runner’ Studio Has 2 People Whose Job Is To Oversee The Continuity Of The Franchise at The Playlist.

There are few people in the world of acting that are as polarizing as Jared Leto. And there are a number of reasons why people either love or hate him. Maybe it’s his career as a rock star that annoys some people? Or is it his Oscar-winning performance in “The Dallas Buyer’s Club,” which in hindsight can be viewed as offensive and distasteful? Perhaps, it’s the fact that he’s alleged to have sent horribly disgusting gifts to his “Suicide Squad” castmates?

Continue reading Jared Leto Knows The Secret Answers To Your ‘Blade Runner’ & ‘The Little Things’ Questions at The Playlist.

Denis Villeneuve’s “Blade Runner 2049” is a beautifully crafted, well-acted, quality sci-fi film that also serves as a worthy sequel to the classic Ridley Scott film from 1982. But what it isn’t, sadly, is a box office hit. And because of that, it seems unlikely that there will ever be another ‘Blade Runner’ film anytime soon. But don’t tell Jared Leto that, as the actor recently named his character from ‘2049’ as one of the roles he’d love to revisit eventually.

Continue reading Jared Leto Would “Love” To Star In Another ‘Blade Runner’ Film at The Playlist.

Director Denis Villeneuve has been comfortably positioned in the sci-fi genre in recent years, dating back to 2016’s “Arrival.” And even when you compare that film to his more recent “Blade Runner 2049” and “Dune,” it’s clear the filmmaker is working with much bigger budgets and massive sets and crews. His recent features dwarf the size of films like “Sicario” and “Prisoners,” making them feel, in retrospect, like scrappy indie features.

Continue reading Denis Villeneuve Thinks “It Would Be Healthy” For Him To Make A Smaller Film After ‘Dune’ at The Playlist.

One of the best conversation starters, if you have a large group of cinephiles in a room together, is the question of which sequels are better than the original films? And considering we all have more time than usual to discuss these sorts of things on social media, given the global pandemic and self-isolation, filmmaker James Gunn is here to facilitate the discussion, while also providing his definitive list of answers.

READ MORE: Denis Villeneuve Has Another ‘Blade Runner’ Film In Mind But It’s Not A Sequel

Sure, Gunn doesn’t have many hot takes in his list of superior sequels.

Continue reading James Gunn Crowns ‘Blade Runner 2049’ As Better Than The Original In His List Of Superior Sequels at The Playlist.

Though it didn’t make $1 billion at the box office and reignite the world’s love of “Blade Runner,” Denis Villeneuve’s “Blade Runner 2049” is an acclaimed film and has many fans that are anticipating the filmmaker’s eventual return to the franchise. Of course, that doesn’t seem likely, as the aforementioned sequel didn’t necessarily make a profit. That being said, the director would love to return to the franchise, though not in the same way he did before.

Continue reading Denis Villeneuve Has Another ‘Blade Runner’ Film In Mind But It’s Not A Sequel at The Playlist.

Even with the critical acclaim received, “Blade Runner 2049” didn’t necessarily set the box office world on fire when it hit theaters last year. Combined with its massive price tag, the financial disappointment of ‘2049’ seemingly ensured that the sci-fi franchise would be put on the shelf yet again. However, thanks to Adult Swim and Crunchyroll, the “Blade Runner” universe is getting a fresh start in animation.

Continue reading ‘Blade Runner’ Anime Series Being Developed For Adult Swim & Crunchyroll at The Playlist.

As many expected it would be, “Blade Runner 2049” was one of the most beautiful films of 2017, and some might say one of the best films of the year, period. And as we’ve covered before, the making of “Blade Runner 2049” was incredibly detailed and thorough. The assembly cut alone was over 4 hours long. And in a new behind-the-scenes look at the film, one of the ‘2049’ producers gives fans one of the most detailed looks behind the curtain of the film yet.

Continue reading ‘Blade Runner 2049’ Producer Shares In-Depth Production Journal Revealing BTS Secrets, Alternate Titles, & More at The Playlist.

Film editor Joe Walker has chosen some pretty great filmmakers to work with. He earned his first Academy Award nomination working with Steve McQueen on “12 Years a Slave.” And just recently he was at the Toronto International Film Festival with McQueen, debuting the upcoming “Widows.” However, in a new interview, the focus was put on another one of his collaborators, Denis Villeneuve.

Continue reading ‘Blade Runner 2049’ Editor Talks Breaking 4-Hour Cut Into Two Parts And Which Scene Closed The First Half at The Playlist.

Denis Villeneuve’s “Blade Runner 2049” is an extreme technical achievement. With stunning cinematography provided by Roger Deakins, we revisit the world Ridley Scott built with 1982’s “Blade Runner.” Beyond the visual elements, Villeneuve brings audiences back to the central theme of Scott’s film: humanity or what it means to be human. The nucleus of each film’s moving, neon enshrined cell, ‘2049’ pushes the conceptual idea of soul searching to a very literal level.

Continue reading The Nature Of Humanity Evolves In ‘Blade Runner 2049’ at The Playlist.

When “Blade Runner 2049” was released last year, the film received rave reviews from critics and most fans. But unfortunately, the Denis Villeneuve-directed sci-fi film was just not able to connect with general audiences. With a final box office gross of $92 million domestically ($259 million worldwide), ‘2049’ was deemed a disappointment at the box office, based on its $150 million production budget.

Continue reading Redemption? ‘Blade Runner 2049’ Is One Of 2018’s Best Selling Blu-Rays And DVDs at The Playlist.

Click here for more from our Oscars 2018 coverage, including the Best & Worst of the ceremony, all the speeches, and the Snubs & Surprises.

One of the greatest cinematographers in the history of cinema finally has an Academy Award.  Roger Deakins took the Best Cinematography trophy Sunday night for his work on Denis Villeneuve’s “Blade Runner 2049” and what was his 14th Oscar nomination.  The fact the 68-year-old visionary had lost 13 previous times was becoming something of an embarrassment for the Academy, but no more.

Continue reading Roger Deakins Finally Wins Cinematography Oscar On 14th Nomination at The Playlist.

THR finishes up their annual pre-Oscars roundtables with a fascinating discussion with this year’s leading cinematographer’s including Oscar nominees Roger Deakins (“Blade Runner 2049”), Rachel Morrison (“Mudbound”), Dan Laustsen (“The Shape of Water”), and Hoyte Van Hoytema (“Dunkirk”) in addition to previous Oscar winners Robert Elswit (“Suburbicon” and “Roman J.

Continue reading 50-Minute Cinematographers Roundtable Talk With Roger Deakins, Rachel Morrison, Hoyte Van Hoytema & More at The Playlist.

Are we living in post-spoiler world where there’s no point in keep anything a surprise because people are awful and will ruin stuff on social media for you anyway? Or is there still some value in the experiencing something with no idea of what’s about to happen? If you’re talking to Denis Villeneuve, he’d definitely prefer the latter. And before “Blade Runner 2049” opened, he hoped that moviegoers would have their viewings untouched by foreknowledge of plot details.

Continue reading Denis Villeneuve Wanted To Keep Harrison Ford’s Return In ‘Blade Runner 2049’ A Secret at The Playlist.

When the party invitations went out to the cast of “Blade Runner” to return for “Blade Runner 2049,” Rutger Hauer was decidedly left out in the cold. Harrison Ford and Edward James Olmos cleared their calendar, while Sean Young gave permission for a digital version of her younger self to swing by. However, Hauer was left crying tears in the rain (though it would’ve required some serious narrative pretzels to being Roy Batty back from the dead).

Continue reading Rutger Hauer Says ‘Blade Runner 2049’ Has “No Humor, No Love, No Soul” at The Playlist.

Roger Deakins. A legendary cinematographer who has absurdly never won an Oscar, despite being nominated 14 times. His latest nod is for “Blade Runner 2049,” the painterly sci-fi sequel from director Denis Villeneuve, their third collaboration together. Much of the film’s atmospheric brilliance was due to Deakins’ work, and it certainly appears that Villeneuve gave Deakins carte blanche, which wasn’t a bad idea, especially since the two complemented each other to great degrees in their other two projects (watch “Sicario” and “Prisoners” if you already haven’t.) With all that being said, we figure this will finally be the movie that will have Deakins win his elusive first Oscar.

Continue reading Roger Deakins Wins Top ASC Award For ‘Blade Runner 2049’ at The Playlist.

There’s almost always one. An Oscar upset that was always possible but likely not probable.  Frankly, it’s often the most exciting part of watching the telecast.

Last year the Academy shocked the world by selecting “Moonlight” as Best Picture over “La La Land.” Two years ago Mark Rylance had something of an awards season comeback by squeaking by the late surging Sylvester Stallone for Best Supporting Actor.

Continue reading 5 Potential Oscar Upsets This Year That Are Not Out Of Bounds at The Playlist.