Denis Villeneuve on the “huge challenge” of making a sequel to Blade Runner

With SICARIO kicking all kinds of ass at the Toronto International Film Festival (our own Chris Bumbray gave it a perfect 10), Denis Villeneuve is already thinking about his next project, the sequel to Ridley Scott's BLADE RUNNER. Making a sequel to one of the most popular science-fiction films of all time is no small task, which is something Villeneuve is very much aware of. The director discussed the film with Collider at TIFF and spoke of the huge challenge that making a BLADE RUNNER sequel entails:

It’s a huge challenge, because you don’t want to cut and paste, otherwise why [do it]? And at the same time you have to respect what was done, so you have to find the right equilibrium between being faithful to the first one and bringing something new at the same time that will make sense to the Blade Runner universe.

Villeneuve, who was very hesitant to take on the project despite Ridley Scott's blessing, admitted a deep fear at tackling a sequel to a film which he's been a hardcore fan of since before it was even released.

It’s more than nervous, it’s a deep fear. I mean when I heard that Ridley Scott wanted to do another movie in the Blade Runner universe, at first my reaction was that it’s a fantastic idea, but it may be a very bad idea. I’m among the hardcore fans of Blade Runner. Blade Runner is one of my favorite movies of all time. It’s a movie that is linked with my love and passion for cinema. I’m coming from a small town in Quebec where, at that time, there was no internet and the way to be in contact with movies were those American fan magazines like Fantastic Films and Starlog and I still remember the shock, the impact of seeing the first frames, the first pictures coming out of Blade Runner. Me and my friends were in awe, so excited and the movie was such a strong cinematic experience. A new way of seeing sci-fi.

Denis Villeneuve again confirmed that Harrison Ford will be starring in the film which "will be autonomous and at the same time there will be some link" to the first. Filming on the sequel will begin next summer, and Villeneuve will be bringing along a frequent collaborator; Roger Deakins, who has worked with Denis Villeneuve on both PRISONERS and SICARIO, will team-up with Villeneuve once again for the BLADE RUNNER sequel and according to Villeneuve, it only took 2.5 seconds to convince him. I'm still uncertain whether a BLADE RUNNER sequel is at all necessary, but with Denis Villeneuve at the helm and very aware of all the risks this project brings, I've got my fingers crossed.

SICARIO will open in limited release on September 18, 2015 before opening wide on October 2, 2015.