Denis Villeneuve scored something of a pyrrhic victory when he directed 2017’s gargantuan sci-fi extravaganza Blade Runner 2049. The film was acclaimed by critics and fans alike, but its blockbuster production budget saw it struggle to recoup costs at the box office.
I hope that hasn’t weighed on Denis’ mind too heavily, though, as 2049 was an overwhelming artistic triumph. And while those financials may have put to bed the prospect of an immediate Blade Runner threequel, the director remains invested in its world, as he discussed in a new interview with Empire.
“It’s such an inspiring place, the Blade Runner world. The problem I have is the word ‘sequel’. I think cinema needs original stories. But if you ask me if I’d like to revisit this universe in a different way, I can say yes. It would need to be a project on its own. Something disconnected from both other movies.”
Those (like me) who salivate at the prospect of more Villeneuve sci-fi will be well aware of his next project, a modern adaptation of the genre’s favourite literary son, Dune. That’ll be more than good enough (if it is good enough). The way things have panned out may turn out to be a blessing in disguise, too. 2049 was hardly a film you wanted sequels farmed out of for the sake of monetary gain, but if a director comes to it with the passion Mr. V had, fair enough.
As it is, he has a chance to realize another cult IP on the big screen, which with his track record has every chance of succeeding in the way that matters most. Ideally, you want great movies to have a great time at the box office, too, but if only one of those eventualities can come to pass, I’ll gladly accept the former. Here’s to Dune’s prosperity in both criteria.
Until then, I’ll leave you with the image that the director gave us in his interview. Who knows what kind of Blade Runner-ish reverie Denis has drifting through his subconscious in the darkening hours, and who knows what it’ll look like when it one day comes to our screens? For now, we lie in wait.