Whether you prefer the Theatrical Cut, Workprint Cut, International Cut, Director’s Cut or the Final Cut, it can’t be denied that Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner is one of the greatest and most influential sci-fi movies ever made. A box office bomb when it was first released in 1982, the dystopian thriller’s reputation only grew over time, and it’s now regarded as a genuine landmark in cinematic history.
After decades of speculation that had seen Scott regularly flirt with the project but never actually commit, Blade Runner 2049 was announced in 2015 with Denis Villeneuve at the helm. The acclaimed filmmaker was coming off the back of Arrival, an existential sci-fi that had done solid business at the box office and gained eight Academy Award nominations including Best Picture and Best Director, and most viewed him as an inspired choice to tackle the long-awaited sequel.
Blade Runner 2049 hit theaters in October 2017, but despite the presence of Ryan Gosling and a returning Harrison Ford, not to mention reviews that were naming it one of the year’s best movies, it hugely underperformed and delivered a disappointing commercial showing. $260 million globally isn’t a great return for a $185 million epic, reinforcing the idea that more casual audiences just aren’t all that interested in big budget sci-fi that’s lacking in the action department.
Of course, one positive was that the movie finally brought Roger Deakins his long overdue and thoroughly deserved Academy Award for Best Cinematography, and audiences that missed Blade Runner 2049 now have the chance to catch it on Netflix. In fact, based on a glance at the global Top 10 list, it looks like they already have, as the thought-provoking and spectacular follow-up to an all-time great is currently the sixth most popular title on the streaming service.
