Discuss: How Do You Feel About Blade Runner 2?

Posted by Neil Miller (neil@filmschoolrejects.com) on September 30, 2008

Alright folks, it is time for another therapy session — time to talk about your feelings. It is time for those of you in the crowd who claim to be fans, geeks and what have you to open up and tell us what you think — or don’t. We’re going to be here either way.

Yesterday, our good friends over at Slashfilm reported some information about the possibility of a Blade Runner sequel. In fact, according to the quote below, Eagle Eye writer Travis Wright said at a Q&A that he and some other folks were working on a script. This from Slashfilm’s reader scoop:

“I recently attended a Q&A session with one of the writers of ‘Eagle Eye’ after a free screening organized by the magazine Creative Screenwriting. During the Q&A, the writer said that he and whomever it was that helped him co-write the ‘Eagle Eye’ screenplay were in the process of writing a sequel to Blade Runner, and had already contacted the producers of the original, etc., etc. This is probably a load of empty words/wishful thinking on his part, but I for one am appalled by just the notion of a Blade Runner sequel, and thought you’d be as well, so I thought perhaps you’d like to look into this yourself and perhaps use your soapbox to get some fanboys a little pissed, as well. If not, then at least you have a scoop.”

Of course, the mere possibility of a Blade Runner sequel has sent shockwaves through the sci-fi community (read: the 2 or 3 sci-fi sites I read in hopes of seeing scantily clad pictures of Grace Park). io9’s Charlie Jane Anders called the potential project a “prodigious waste of money,” saying that “some stories that just don’t need to be continued.” Even Slashfilm’s own head man Pete Sciretta was skeptical, saying “we certainly don’t need a sequel written by the second tier team of Eagle Eye.”

Even Alex Billington at First Showing, who has long been a bastion of optimism, isn’t feeling love for a Blade Runner sequel, saying “I have a lot of respect for it and can’t even fathom a sequel or anything even set in the same universe.”

So what gives, people? Why can’t we have faith that the guys who gratuitously ripped off every great modern sci-fi thriller to make Eagle Eye couldn’t use the same creativity-lacking skills to schlep together more tales of a dystopian world that is subtly being taken over by replicants? Who says that Harrison Ford can’t come back to revitalize one of his most iconic characters, bringing him into the 21st century and handily passing the torch off to a young, hotshot actor — possibly even Shia LaBeouf?

The mind wanders… But I digress. Your thoughts below…

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