Top 10 Amazing Facts You Didn't Know About Blade Runner 2049

#10: Rick Deckard: Human or Replicant?

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The original “Blade Runner” left matters on open-ended, allowing the audience to decide whether Rick Deckard is human or replicant. Even the film’s cast and crew have never been able to settle on a definitive answer. For what it’s worth, however, Philip K. Dick, who penned the novel that started it all, wrote Deckard as a person. While Harrison Ford and screenwriter Hampton Fancher see eye to eye with Dick, director Ridley Scott believes that Deckard is a replicant. When asked how the sequel would address this highly debated question, director Denis Villeneuve gave an appropriately ambiguous response: “The thing I must say is that I love mystery. I love shadows. I love doubts. I would just want to say to the fans that we will take care of that mystery. I will take care of it.”

#9: David Bowie Was Eyed for a Role

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Although he’s best remembered for his singing career, David Bowie’s charismatic presence made him a natural for the silver screen as well. He played Jareth the Goblin King in “Labyrinth,” physicist Nikola Tesla in “The Prestige,” and even himself in “Zoolander.” During the casting for “Blade Runner 2049,” Villeneuve considered Bowie for the role of Neander Wallace, a replicant manufacturer. This notably would’ve re-teamed Bowie with Ridley Scott, who had previously directed the musician in a 1960s ice cream commercial. Before anyone could offer him the part, however, Bowie sadly passed away due to liver cancer in 2016. Thus, the filmmakers decided to approach somebody with a similar rock star quality. Enter Jared Leto.

#8: Jared Leto Filmed His Scenes in Two Weeks

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Speaking of Mr. Leto, his time on the set of “Blade Runner 2049” flew by almost as quickly as the Joker’s appearance in “Suicide Squad.” After being cast as the cunning Neander Wallace in August 2016, Leto set out to shoot his scenes the following month in Budapest, Hungary. Leto reportedly finished his work on the film in roughly under two weeks. It’s probably a good thing this was such a short shoot for Leto, as we can’t imagine those creepy contact lenses were especially comfortable to wear. In addition to the film itself, Leto also appeared in a short “in-world” film entitled “Nexus: 2036,” which offers a glimpse at his character’s backstory.

#7: Which Version Is Canon?

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When the workprint version of “Blade Runner” received a negative reaction from test audiences back in 1982, Ridley Scott was forced to make several changes for its US theatrical cut. This wouldn’t be the last time the film underwent significant changes either: as of 2017, eight different versions have been released. During an interview with Collider, Denis Villeneuve implied that “Blade Runner 2049” would be a self-contained sequel with some connections to its predecessor. While he didn’t declare one particular version as canon, Villeneuve grew up with the original theatrical cut and appreciated Scott’s 2007 Final Cut. Thus, those are the two versions that primarily inspired him while making this follow-up.

#6: It’s Got an Oscar Caliber Cast and Crew

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The Academy might’ve overlooked Harrison Ford’s portrayal of Rick Deckard in the original “Blade Runner,” but at least they nominated him a couple of years later for his performance in “Witness.” Ford will reprise his role in “Blade Runner 2049,” although our leading man this time around is Ryan Gosling, fresh off his Best Actor nomination for “La La Land.” Oscar nominees Edward James Olmos and Barkhad Abdi are also onboard in supporting roles. The technical crew, which includes composer Jóhann Jóhannsson, editor Joe Walker, and cinematographer Roger Deakins, has accumulated their fair share of Oscar nods too. Yet, all of the aforementioned names are still waiting to join Jared Leto in the Oscar winner’s circle.

17 years after the original “Blade Runner” came out, word of a sequel started to circulate. Even then, however, the film spent almost a decade and a half in development hell. Author K. W. Jeter had written a follow-up to Philip K. Dick’s original novel entitled “The Edge of Human.” Stuart Hazeldine adapted this book for a movie called “Blade Runner Down,” but the project couldn’t quite get the green-light. In 2008, it was reported that Travis Wright and John Glenn of “Eagle Eye” had been attached to the sequel, although they both ultimately exited. After multiple attempts went nowhere, it was finally confirmed in 2015 that Denis Villeneuve would direct the long-awaited sequel.

Science fiction movies usually struggle to gain major recognition at the Oscars. Even the original “Blade Runner” only got two nominations for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration and Best Visual Effects. So it’s really saying something that Denis Villeneuve’s “Arrival” was able to breakthrough at the 89th Academy Awards. In addition to winning Best Sound Editing, the film was nominated for a total of eight Oscars, including Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Picture. Following the success of “Arrival,” cinephiles were able to let out a collective sigh of relief, knowing that “Blade Runner 2049” was in more than capable hands.

Although he began his career as an actor, Hampton Fancher cemented his legacy by producing and co-writing “Blade Runner.” Outside of a few projects here and there, however, Fancher has been virtually MIA for the past three decades. When “Blade Runner 2049” officially started moving forward, Fancher was invited back to help write the screenplay with Michael Green. In an interview with IGN, Ridley Scott stated that Fancher’s initial response was, “Oh, s#!t, not again.” Despite coming off as reluctant at first, Fancher eventually signed on for the sequel. To map out the story, he reportedly worked on a novella that was roughly 100 pages long.

#2: Ridley Scott Originally Said He’d Helm the Film

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On a few separate occasions over the years, Ridley Scott has expressed interest in returning to the world of “Blade Runner.” In 2009, it was reported that he was developing a series of prequel shorts entitled “Purefold” with his brother, Tony Scott. They planned to release the series online, but funding issues supposedly got in the way. Two years later, news broke that Scott would direct another “Blade Runner” movie. Another three years down the line, Scott revealed that he was producing the sequel rather than directing. Scott was reportedly disappointed that he couldn’t direct “Blade Runner 2049,” but due to his commitment to “Alien: Covenant”, the legendary director’s plate was already full.

With Scott out of the director’s chair, the torch was passed to Denis Villeneuve. In a Collider interview, Villeneuve revealed that he wasn’t immediately sold on the idea of a “Blade Runner” sequel. Although he thought the film had the potential to be amazing, Villeneuve also feared that it could hurt the 1982 classic, which remains one of his favorite movies. Villeneuve was more optimistic after reading the screenplay and receiving Ridley Scott’s blessing. Even then, though, Villeneuve still wasn’t sure if he was worthy enough to helm the picture. Despite all the pressure, Villeneuve accepted directorial duties because he felt that he could pull it off. Working with Harrison Ford was also a nice bonus.