Denis Villeneuve on the terror he feels making a sequel to Blade Runner

Last Updated on July 31, 2021

Even when you've got an extremely talented cast and crew behind you, the thought of making a sequel to one of the best sci-fi movies of all time must be incredibly daunting, let alone making it over thirty years after the original was released. Denis Villeneuve is currently in the midst of production on the BLADE RUNNER sequel and he's letting you know right now that "it’s not possible to live up to the original." Villeneuve spoke with THR to discuss ARRIVAL, which recently premiered at the Venice Film Festival, and talk naturally turned to his work on the BLADE RUNNER sequel and the pressures he's feeling as he makes the story his own.

What terrorizes me right now is what I’m doing is taking Blade Runner and making it my own, and that is horrific. To realize that when I look at the dailies, it’s not Ridley Scott, it’s me, and that it’s different. It’s still the same universe, we are still in the same dream, but it’s mine, so it’s like I have no idea how you people will react, I don’t know. It has its own life.

The BLADE RUNNER sequel has assembled quite the cast including Robin Wright, Jared Leto, Dave Bautista, Ana de Armas, Mackenzie Davis, Ryan Gosling and of course, Harrison Ford. The shoot for the BLADE RUNNER sequel will be a long one and Harrison Ford has yet to shot any scenes, but Villeneuve was relieved that meeting Ford to prep the film was just as great as he had hoped.

I will say that Harrison, to my great relief … you know Harrison Ford, he was one of my biggest heroes. I grew up with him, so to meet a man like that who is kind of a legend in your heart, that has that kind of humility, generosity, open-mindedness and simplicity, one of the nicest human beings I’ve met. I’m really looking forward to start working with him.

Ryan Gosling will be starring in the BLADE RUNNER sequel and, according to Villeneuve, he's going to be insanely good in the role, whatever that role ends up being.

I must say, the thing I can say is that Ryan Gosling is insanely good. I’m very impressed by that actor. It’s the first time I’ve worked with him and I never had someone that was as much a trooper, as dedicated, as precise and engaged. I feel that he is a real partner with me. I said to him, "You know, we are going to do it together and it’s like walking in a dark room with a lighter trying to find the way out. It’s a huge room and we are alone and it’s dark and it’s cold." And he said, "Yeah, I understand exactly." But we have a lot of fun.

It’s funny because very often we say that nobody realizes that a bunch of Canadians took over Blade Runner. We are, like, covert, nobody knows. I knew he was a great actor, I didn’t know how brilliant — he’s really an intelligent person, very clever, very provocative mind, he’s bringing a lot to the project right now, a lot, in a positive way. I’m very excited about it.

The UNTITLED BLADE RUNNER SEQUEL will hit theaters on October 6, 2017 and ARRIVAL will debut on November 11, 2016.