Credit: Warner BrosActors are often stuck in schedules requiring them to cancel or walk away from projects that could have made them even more famous. That doesn’t happen as frequently for directors, but it did happen to one of the best directors in the world, who was initially making a sequel to one of his best films—which starred Harrison Ford.
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Anyone who gets the chance to direct Harrison Ford in anything might be distraught if they have to walk away from said project. Ford might be one of the biggest draws in Hollywood, and the man can undoubtedly put audiences in seats when he stars in anything. He has been the centerpiece for many franchises, including Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Blade Runner.
Though many fans might not remember Blade Runner, it became known as one of the best neo-noir films ever made and has received many versions. It initially came out in 1982 and starred Harrison Ford as Rick Deckard. Deckard is charged with hunting down humanoid cyborgs known as “Replicants.” It became one of the most famous noir and science fiction films, which famed director Ridley Scott wrote. Scott has been known for such epics as Alien (1979), Gladiator (2000), and the Prometheus prequel spinoff series for Alien.
Though Scott had written and directed Blade Runner 35 years previously, the wheels began turning for him to return to the franchise, which he did initially. However, time constraints led to him walking away from bringing Harrison Ford back.
Ridley Scott Regrets Not Directing Harrison Ford In ‘Blade Runner: 2049’
Ridley Scott recently revealed to Empire that he regrets walking away from Blade Runner: 2049. We imagine it would be upsetting to anyone who created such a masterpiece to finally get a sequel, only to have to walk away from said sequel.
Scott had left behind the anticipated Blade Runner sequel for his Alien prequel franchise, which started with Prometheus (2012). Alien: Covenant (2017) was the sequel he chose over Blade Runner: 2049, given to another celebrate directed, Denis Villeneuve. Villeneuve has his own science fiction epic prowess, as he is the director of the highly praised Dune (2021) remake.
Scott expressed his frustrations by stating, “I shouldn’t have had to make that decision. But I had to. I should have done Blade Runner 2.”
We imagine Ridley Scott stepping away from the Blader Runner sequel was not an easy decision, especially considering the massive cast attached. Harrison Ford returned as Rick Deckard, but he was joined by Ryan Gosling, Ana de Armas, and Jared Leto. All of which gave terrific performances.
Blade Runner: 2049 picked up where the last film left off, in a world plagued by Replicants, only now they are enslaved. A Replicant named K (Ryan Gosling) works for the LAPD as a Blade Runner that hunts down and retires replicants. He stumbles on a massive secret that Replicants can reproduce naturally, which leads to him hunting down this child Replicant with the help of retired Blade Runner Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford).
Though the sequel only managed to make $267 million against a budget of around $160 million, it has been critically acclaimed. It still holds an 88% critic approval rating and 87% audience approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It is not often a sequel that is presented so long after the initial film does this well, but Blade Runner: 2049 became celebrated as a wonderful sequel that didn’t diminish the original film’s unique nature.
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The good news is that Ridley Scott is returning to the franchise, as he is a producer for the upcoming Blade Runner 2099, a series produced for Amazon that will continue the story. There has been no mention that Harrison Ford will be asked to return as Rick Deckard, but we hope he does. Scott has also mentioned a third Blade Runner film, which we imagine would certainly bring back Ford if only to end his story. Either way, Scott sees the sequel going to Villeneuve as a missed opportunity, despite Villeneuve being a celebrated director in his own right.
Do you think Blade Runner: 2049 would have been different if Ridley Scott stayed? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!