Earlier this week, IMAX – in partnership with Warner Bros.
, Sony and Alcon Entertainment – hosted a very special trailer
reveal for the upcoming
Blade Runner 2049.
The event, held at the IMAX headquarters in Playa Vista, saw the
film’s director, Denis Villeneuve, along with stars Ryan Gosling
and Harrison Ford introduce the trailer and take part in a Q &
A where the trio dished on topics ranging from the original
Blade Runner, their inspiration for the sequel, and the
connection between both films and society today.
Here is a quick segment from the discussion moderated by Access
Hollywood’s Scott Mantz. Make sure you check out the entire video
below. Enjoy!
Q: How has the originalBlade Runner
stood the test of time as a film already so far ahead of its
time?
Ryan Gosling:We still haven’t worked out the
flying car thing, so that’s disappointing. But I’m being nicer to
my electronics just in case.
Harrison Ford:I think it’s fascinating that the
original film postulated a technology which, in many ways, we’ve
surpassed – and in other ways we’re not quite there.
[
Blade Runner 2049] takes into account the 30 years that
have passed and references technologies that actually are in place
now, and also to me – which is a little bit more interesting –
acknowledges and deals with some of the ethical considerations that
technology presents us with. There’s no such thing as a free
lunch.
And we’re really talking about both the benefit of technology
and the social consequences of it in a way that I think is really
interesting.
Denis Villeneuve:In
2049, society, for some reason, lost its memory and it’s
not in relationship with the story any more in some ways. That is
something that is kind of frightening with our world today.
RG:When I first saw it, I was just really struck
by how influential it had been on everything I had seen up until
that point. But it was also, because I was young, I think it was
one of the first films I had seen that it wasn’t clear how I was
supposed to feel when it was over. It made me question what it
meant to be a human being. It made me question my ability to
recognize the hero from the villain. It was this nightmarish vision
of the future but sort of presented in this romantic dream-like
way. So it was very haunting and really probably one of the first
films where I really wondered what happened when it was over. What
happened to that world and those characters? So to have the
opportunity to really actually physically enter that world and be a
part of it and learn the answers to those questions was a wonderful
opportunity.
Q: What was the most interesting part of revisiting the
character of Rick Decker for the second time?
HF:The character is woven into the story in a way
that intrigued me. There is a very strong emotional context. The
relationship between the character I play, Decker, and the other
characters I found fascinating. I think it’s interesting to develop
a character after a period of time – to revisit a character. It was
a very interesting experience working with Denis, working with Ryan
and the other people involved in the film. It was a very gratifying
experience. I really had a good time.”
Q: How doesBlade Runner 2049
relate to a modern society?
DV:We are still exploring the themes of memories
and empathy. That’s the deeper tissue of the movie in relation to
what it means to be human.
—
By Andrew Stewart, Manager, Corporate Communications
