Here’s What Ridley Scott Said About Turning Down Blade Runner 2049 (Photo Credit – Instagram)
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Let’s take a moment to picture this: Ridley Scott stuck in a sci-fi dilemma for the ages. The chance to direct the sequel to one of the genre’s greatest films or stick with the dark, suspense-filled world of Alien? The man didn’t have to make that choice, but… he did. And looking back, Scott doesn’t wear it as a badge of honor. “I shouldn’t have had to make that decision,” he once admitted to Empire (via Variety), adding, “But I had to. I should have done Blade Runner 2.”
Here’s a truth bomb from the king of dystopian cinema: Ridley Scott passed on directing Blade Runner 2049 in 2017 because he was knee-deep in Alien: Covenant. Tough choice, but he made it. Instead of diving back into replicant territory, he took on the executive producer role and handed the director’s chair to Denis Villeneuve.
Blade Runner 2049 — Risk, Reward & Regret
Now, about that sequel. Blade Runner 2049 wasn’t your average blockbuster. It was a visual masterpiece, snagging Oscars for Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Editing, and Best Cinematography (props to Roger Deakins). But hey, it wasn’t exactly a smooth ride. Villeneuve opened up about the risk he took, admitting he “flirted with disaster.”
A budget that could have funded an entire country and a box office haul that barely scraped past $100 million—against a $300 million production and marketing price tag—made it clear: the stakes were high. Denis Villeneuve wasn’t blind to the pressure, either. “I put myself into massive artistic danger,” he said. And let’s be real, there was something almost sacrilegious about stepping into Scott’s legendary shoes. “I was told, ‘You don’t do that.’”
Despite the financial turbulence, Blade Runner 2049 still made a lasting impact, especially with critics and fans who knew the stakes. So, what about Scott? Was he watching from the sidelines with envy? It sure seems like it.
Sure, he wasn’t behind the camera, but Scott was still tied to the project as executive producer, offering guidance from his lofty perch in the Blade Runner heavens. That regret of not being in the driver’s seat clearly never left him.
But hey, Ridley Scott isn’t done with the Blade Runner universe. He’s returning with Blade Runner 2099, a Prime Video limited series exploring a future brimming with all the chaos and philosophical musings fans expect. And with Jeremy Podeswa directing the pilot and Silka Luisa from Shining Girls running the show, this one’s bound to push boundaries, just like its predecessors.
