Blade Runner sequel/prequel?

[Srelex]

http://io9.com/#!5774950/a-warner-bros+ ... or-prequel

One of the most iconic science fiction films of all time could be getting a sequel — or a prequel — soon. We may find out how Blade Runner's replicants came to be, or what became of them.
We just got a press release from Alcon Entertainment, a production company financed by Warner Bros. that put out Christopher Nolan's Insomnia, The Book of Eli, and several other films. Alcon and producer Bud Yorkin are in "final negotiations" to secure the rights. We should have more details for you soon, but for now here's the press release:

LOS ANGELES, CA, MARCH 3, 2011-Warner Bros-based financing and production company Alcon Entertainment ("The Blind Side," "The Book of Eli") co-founders and co-Chief Executive Officers Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove, in the most significant property acquisition negotiations in the Company's 13-year history, are in final discussions to secure film, television and ancillary franchise rights to produce prequels and sequels to the iconic 1982 science-fiction thriller "Blade Runner."
Alcon is negotiating to secure the rights from producer-director Bud Yorkin, who will serve as producer on "Blade Runner" along with Kosove and Johnson. Cynthia Sikes Yorkin will co-produce. Frank Giustra and Tim Gamble, CEO's of Thunderbird Films, will serve as executive producers.
Alcon's franchise rights would be all-inclusive, but exclude rights to remake the original. The Company, however, may produce projects based on situations introduced in the original film. The project would be distributed domestically by Warner Bros. International rights are yet to be determined.
Johnson and Kosove stated: "We are honored and excited to be in business with Bud Yorkin. This is a major acquisition for our company, and a personal favorite film for both of us. We recognize the responsibility we have to do justice to the memory of the original with any prequel or sequel we produce. We have long-term goals for the franchise, and are exploring multi-platform concepts, not just limiting ourselves to one medium only."
Among its many distinctions, "Blade Runner" has been singled out as one of the greatest movies of all time by countless polls and media outlets, and overwhelmingly as the greatest science-fiction film of all time by a majority of genre publications.
Released by Warner Bros. almost 30 years ago, "Blade Runner" was adapted by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples from Philip K. Dick's novel "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" and directed by Ridley Scott following his landmark "Alien." The film was nominated for two Academy Awards (Best Visual Effects, and Best Art Direction).
"Blade Runner" was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." The film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry in 1993 and is frequently taught in university courses. In 2007, it was named the 2nd most visually influential film of all time by the Visual Effects Society.
Alcon's COO Scott Parish and head of business affairs David Fierson are negotiating on behalf of the Company.

ABOUT BUD YORKIN
Emmy Award winning director-producer Bud Yorkin started in live television directing and writing for the "Colgate Comedy Hour" starring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, "The Dinah Shore Show" and "The Abbott and Costello Show" and many others. He went on to direct the first live TV specials for many stars including "An Evening With Fred Astaire" (which won 12 Emmys), "The Jack Benny Hour" (which won 5 Emmys) as well as specials for Bobby Darin, Duke Ellington, Henry Fonda, Danny Kaye, Carol Channing and Andy Williams.
In his first feature film, Yorkin directed Frank Sinatra in "Come Blow Your Horn." Other films he produced and directed include: "Divorce American Style", "Start the Revolution Without Me", "The Thief Who Came To Dinner" and "Twice In A Lifetime". Yorkin partnered with Norman Lear to revolutionize television with their shows "All in the Family", "Sanford and Son" and "Maude".
In 1973 Yorkin was voted "Man of the Year " by the Television Academy. He was inducted into the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences "Hall of Fame" in 2002 and the following year he received the prestigious "David Susskind Lifetime Achievement Award" from the Producers Guild of America.

ABOUT ALCON ENTERTAINMENT
Alcon Entertainment co-founders and co-CEO's Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson founded the Company in 1997 with financial backing from Frederick W. Smith, the Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of FedEx. Alcon, which is named after a mythological archer and ally of Hercules, has financed, and/or co-financed/produced over 19 films, including "My Dog Skip," "Dude, Where's My Car?", "Insomnia," "Racing Stripes," the Academy Award nominated Best Picture "The Blind Side," which earned Sandra Bullock a Best Actress Oscar; "The Book of Eli," starring Denzel Washington and Gary Oldman; "Insomnia," starring Al Pacino, Robin Williams, and Hilary Swank and directed by Chris Nolan; "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants," and "P.S. I Love You," starring Hilary Swank, among many others.
The Company's next release is "Something Borrowed," based on New York Times bestselling author Emily Giffin's book, starring Kate Hudson, Ginnifer Goodwin and John Krasinski, on May 6, 2011. Alcon recently completed "Dolphin Tale," a 3-D family film starring Morgan Freeman, Harry Connick Jr., Ashley Judd and Kris Kristofferson, scheduled for release on September 23, 2011. "Joyful Noise," a music driven comedy starring Queen Latifah and Dolly Parton, is currently in production. All three films will be released via its output deal with Warner Bros.

[Spice Runner]

I don't know. A sequel would be difficult to do realistically given that Harrison Ford is not quite his young self anymore. Unless they bring in a new cast of characters in which case I don't think I'd bother watching. And regarding a prequel, I'm not sure how they would pull it off. I like the original movie for what it was. A standalone science fiction noir story set in a dysotopian world which didn't need much explanation beyond the fact that there was a devastating third world war. I'd think that a prequel might stray too much from what made the original film so great. But I'm keeping an open mind about it.

[Manus Celer Dei]

Oh fuck no.

[Nephtys]

Not everything needs to have it's background 'explained'. Backtracking to fill in blanks on things that didn't need to be filled in is what gives us abominations like the Prequel Star Wars, or that godawful Battlestar Galactica spinoff...

[Eleventh Century Remnant]

Looking at this from the point of view of a Philip K. Dick fan, um...what? Seriously, he only ever really wrote two books that were even vaguely connected to each other, Radio Free Albemuth and Valis, and there's no such thing as Arthouse- To The Max!!! They're not only unfilmable, they're damn' near incomprehensible. The Singularity will occur before someone makes a good screen interpretation of Valis. There were large tranches of unused plot in Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, but they were so woven-in that you'd virtually have to do a remake to make much use out of them, and exactly who wouldn't be offended by Mercerism?

(I refuse to admit the validity of the theoretical 'sequels' penned by that notorious asshole K.W.Jeter, writing-circle acolyte/hanger-on of the man himself; the tone is so unlike that it's barely even licensed fanfiction. If this is what's being filmed- and I don't even want to re- skim them to get the gist of the plot- then count me out.)

You could tell an appropriately Dickian tale with the given ending of Blade Runner, Deckard and what's-her-name, Sean Young, emigrating and Deckard drifting into the role of knowingly- false prophet of empathy, leading people to grace and better lives by deliberately lying to them, and the political consequences of that- but it's not what they'd choose to film.

[Ugolino]

Oh well. Who knows, maybe they'll mention Buster Friendly?

[Batman]

Great. Now I'll have to look up Buster Friendly.
World's Greatest Detective my
Shut up.
And I really don't know. Another movie parked in that universe could absolutely work (Soldier was, kinda sorta). But an actual prequel/sequel? Not just a movie that is set before/after the events of 'Blade Runner', I think that could absolutely work. An actual prequel/sequel? I just don't know.

[aieeegrunt]

No. Fuck. No. Come up with your own fucking ideas. Fuck's sakes, enough.

[Batman]

Hollywood doesn't seem to be all that hot on 'new ideas' those last few years

[Srelex]

Hollywood doesn't seem to be all that hot on 'new ideas' those last few years

Well, if by 'few years' you mean between 1910 and now, then yes.

Anyway, I guess in theory there could be potential in exploring the BRverse, but perhaps it would be better as a TV show or something.

[Havok]

Jeezuz. I'm one of those people that isn't even all that enamored by Blade Runner, and I have to give a resounding 'Fuck Off!' to this idea. We know all we need to know about this world and Decker and the replicants.

[FSTargetDrone]

I don't know. A sequel would be difficult to do realistically given that Harrison Ford is not quite his young self anymore. Unless they bring in a new cast of characters in which case I don't think I'd bother watching. And regarding a prequel, I'm not sure how they would pull it off. I like the original movie for what it was. A standalone science fiction noir story set in a dysotopian world which didn't need much explanation beyond the fact that there was a devastating third world war. I'd think that a prequel might stray too much from what made the original film so great. But I'm keeping an open mind about it.

Assuming that he'd even be interested.

Anyway, I agree. Blade Runner is one of my favorite films, but it's also one with which I am content not knowing anything else about the story, or the world. Prequels are tedious as it is, but perhaps other than showing a very young Tyrell, who else could be involved? If we accept that Decker is indeed a replicant, then we aren't likely to see his younger self anyway. Olmos could conceivably be cast in this in his present age, but really, what are you going to do with a secondary character like that? Does anyone realistically believe that Sean Young would be recast as anything other than a secondary character herself? She and Ford would probably not appear in the movie together because they evidently had a disagreeable history working on Blade Runner.

No, this new film, if anything comes of it, I don't see it having anything to do with the extant characters. And what else is there to show? I don't want to see Rutger Hauer pull a Bishop-esque thing where the guy keeps popping up in sequels as himself, or as his own creator or whatever the hell.

No, no and again, No. I don't see this working outside of all new characters and then it's just not the same.

[Guardsman Bass]

i09 also has an interview with the producers. It sounds like they've got this idea, but don't have any idea of what the story and the like will be.

I'm not exactly enthusiastic. It sounds like it could very easily turn into little more than a cash-in attempt to make money using the setting and name. To their credit, they do seem to be trying to get some good writing and directorial talent.

[fgalkin]

I see they have learned nothing from the massive success that was Soldier and are still trying to cash in on the setting.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

[The Yosemite Bear]

Well we've already had Soldier.....