The cyberpunk cult classic "Blade Runner" franchise is yet again ready for another run, as "Blade Runner 2049," directed by Denis Villeneuve, gets several promotional movie screenshots disturbingly seem to show the world today.
A direct sequel to the critically acclaimed 1982 neo-noir science fiction (sci-fi) "Blade Runner," which supposedly took place in fictional 2019, "Blade Runner 2049" is to take place in the fictional near-future of Los Angeles 30 years later. In the upcoming film, "Officer K," the film's main protagonist, has uncovered an old and dangerous secret that could potentially ruin society.
It is worth noting that "Officer K" will be played by none other than Hollywood heartthrob Ryan Gosling. Gosling will then star alongside the sci-fi veteran Harrison Ford, who was the protagonist of the first movie.
The upcoming film's promotional stills reveal a dystopian near-future for Los Angeles and perhaps the surrounding areas of the once glorious city. As confirmed by Gizmodo, the stills are terrifyingly representative of the real-life situations people are living in right now or are headed to, and as such, viewers of the photo may as well ignore the captions or change the photos' description to a real world report and it still would've been fitting.
Beyond the dystopian and dilapidated city, the film's promotion also boasted several recognizable cyberpunk tropes such as Japanese cartoon holograms, futuristic buildings, lots of neon, and off course a ridiculous lifestyle gap between the rich and the poor. It is also well worth noting that the cyberpunk cult culture and artistic theme was first conceived by the original "Blade Runner" movie back in its heyday, and the belated sequel would do well to follow the gigantic footsteps of its predecessor.
The promotional material for "Blade Runner 2049," however does not stop in stills as reputable Hollywood director Ridley Scott, director of the first "Blade Runner," also released a short film which acts as a prequel to "Blade Runner 2049." The short film, "2036: Nexus Dawn," takes place between the timeline of the two movies. It stars a cyber-augmented Jared Leto with his android (the humanoid machine, not the smartphone).
The goal of the short film, apart from drumbeating the arrival of "Blade Runner 2049" is to familiarize people to the sequel and establish the premise of the cyberpunk movie.
"Blade Runner 2049" is set to be released on Oct. 4 in Italy and Oct. 6 in 2D, 3D, and IMAX theatres worldwide.
