Warner Bros.

Warner Bros. has been on a hot streak lately, dominating the summer with “Wonder Woman” and “Dunkirk” and pushing the box office out of an August slump with the record-breaking “It.” Now it’s taking a roll of the dice with “Blade Runner 2049,” putting a $150 million budget and an extensive marketing campaign behind a sequel to a sci-fi classic that came out 35 years ago.

On its face, this is quite the roll of the dice for WB to put so much into a “Blade Runner” sequel, considering that the first film wasn’t that much of a box office hit back in 1982. Released at a time when audiences preferred their sci-fi to be broader and action-filled with films like “E.T.” and “Star Wars,” “Blade Runner” was a dark, challenging, and very deliberate dystopian odyssey that many moviegoers kept away from. The film made just $27.5 million in its initial theatrical run.

Also Read: Which Version of 'Blade Runner' Should You See Before Watching the Sequel?

How did other 1982 sci-fi films do? “E.T.” ruled the roost with $359 million. “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” made $78 million. Even “Tron,” another film that earned cult status after its first release, made more than “Blade Runner” with $33 million.

But since then, “Blade Runner” has become one of the most influential films of its genre, and Warner Bros. is hoping that it will hook not only the original’s hardcore fans, but younger audiences who, even if they haven’t seen the original, are intrigued by the film’s pedigree and its unique visuals.

Such was the case just two years ago, when WB released “Mad Max: Fury Road,” another long-gestating sequel with a $150 million price tag. The film opened to $45.4 million and went on to gross $372 million worldwide.

Also Read: 'Blade Runner 2049' Is 'Worth the 35-Year Wait,' Plus 6 More Raves

While that’s certainly not much of a profit for George Miller’s hit — “It,” by comparison, is nearing $600 million worldwide against a $35 million budget — “Fury Road” did go on to earn six Oscars and a Best Picture nomination, which boosted its post-theatrical revenue. With “Wonder Woman” and “It” already bringing in the bucks for WB and with “Justice League” waiting in the wings, “Blade Runner 2049” doesn’t necessarily need to bring in tentpole profit and could have long-term interest if it becomes an awards contender

Also Read: 'Thor: Ragnarok' Is Fandango's Most Anticipated Fall Movie

So far, signs are pointing to a solid opening for “2049” that could be well above “Fury Road.” MovieTickets.com has reported that advance ticket sales for the film on their site are triple what was registered for “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” which opened to $72 million in 2014. Fandango, meanwhile, reports that “2049” ticket sales on their site are outpacing that of “The Martian,” which opened to $54 million in 2015. Of course, while advance ticket sales are not an exact way of estimating opening potential, it shows strong opening interest.

Also Read: 'Blade Runner 2049' Director Denis Villeneuve in Early Talks for 'Cleopatra'

“For a certain generation of film buffs, seeing ‘Blade Runner’ in theaters was a defining moment,” said comScore’s Paul Dergarabedian. “And now this sequel has Ridley Scott’s name on it as producer, with Villeneuve directing after getting sci-fi-fi fans’ attention with ‘Arrival.’ And for younger audiences who might not have seen “Blade Runner,” Ryan Gosling could be a draw as well after his turn in ‘La La Land.'”

What remains to be seen, however, is whether “2049” can grab interest among casual moviegoers to keep up numbers through the rest of October, or if there will be a steep drop-off after fans of Gosling and “Runner” have seen the film on opening weekend.

The latter was the case for Ridley Scott’s other 2017 film, “Alien: Covenant,” which made almost half of its $74 million domestic gross on opening weekend, when it made $36.1 million. The following weekend, it dropped 70 percent to $10 million. Aside from hardcore “Alien” fans, there was no interest in seeing Scott make his return to his signature sci-fi franchise.

Similarly, while “2049” has heavy name recognition and intriguing visuals like “Fury Road” did, it is not by any means a high-octane action flick. Reviews for the film, while very positive, have noted that the film can be very enigmatic and takes it time exploring its films, something that is clear given its 163 min. run time. While that complexity is exactly why “Blade Runner” has so many fans, it remains to be seen whether casual moviegoers in later weekends will be game for a cerebral piece or whether they will go for popcorn flicks like “Happy Death Day” instead.

“It’s always hard for an R-Rated, hard sci-fi film to have legs at the box office,” said Exhibitor Relations’ Jeff Bock. “Most of them have a limited scope.”

'Blade Runner 2049': Everything We Learned From the New Trailer (Photos)

Fox’s newly-released “Blade Runner 2049” trailer is out, and while it looks gorgeous, it doesn’t tell us much about the upcoming film. Here’s what we think can be gleaned from the clues and callbacks to the original 1982 film. Warning: Spoilers!
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Tyrell Corp. is still at it
The trailer opens with a look at the pyramid that serves as headquarters for the Tyrell Corporation — also known as the company that makes Replicants. In the “Blade Runner” universe, Replicants are robots used to do tough jobs like create colonies on other planets or even fight battles. Replicants are outlawed on Earth, which is why special cops known as Blade Runners hunt them down to “retire” them.
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Atari means alternate timeline
It's pretty obvious that "Blade Runner" doesn't take place in exactly our universe, but this giant Atari ad is a good reminder. Atari was a big gaming company in the late '70s to early '80s, but has since shrunken significantly.
Warner Bros.
Tyrell is going strong
Replicants are still good business, it seems. In a scene that appears to, ah, replicate the start of the investigation in "Blade Runner," Ryan Gosling's "Officer K" seems to be heading to Tyrell to gather information.
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Jared Leto is some kind of bad guy
It seems the guy still making androids at Tyrell is Jared Leto, who gives some creepy monologue lines throughout the trailer. He appears to be pulling strings and creating conflict throughout the story.
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How are Replicants are made?
We've never gotten much information about how Replicants work or how they're made. Dialogue in "Blade Runner" suggests they're sort of biologically engineered, somewhat-programmable creatures. They seem to bleed and eventually die, usually after only a few years.
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Happy Inception Date
It's hard to say exactly who is being born here in the trailer, since there's never a good look at her non-goo-covered face. It could be Carla Juri, who's character hasn't been revealed yet.
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The LAPD looks huge
Harking back to the Los Angeles Police Department building of "Blade Runner," this shot of a massive flat LAPD headquarters suggests the organization is enormous.
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Robin Wright is Officer K's LAPD captain
Seems like an easy guess. She's seen presumably talking about the need to maintain order by retiring Replicants through a rainy window, with Officer K in the background.
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A possible alternate take on the Cold War
The novel by Philip K. Dick on which “Blade Runner” is based imagines a post-nuclear war world, one in which nuclear fallout is a fact of weather and everyone wears lead-lined jackets to keep from mutating. It’s also a future imagined from the midst of the Cold War. Things like history and geopolitics don't get mentioned much in the original film, but this ad could be a hint that in this version of 2049, the Soviet Union still exists, at least as suggested by advertising in the trailer.
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A relationship with a Replicant?
From concept art, we know this shot takes place on Officer K's apartment building's roof, where shares a seemingly romantic moment with Joi, played by de Armas. She shows up at several other points in the trailer, leaving her status as human or Replicant at least partially up in the air.
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A ruined Las Vegas?
The prevailing theory (which seems backed up by the trailer) is that Officer K tracks "Blade Runner" protagonist Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) to a hideaway in a desert city that's probably Las Vegas. The city is notably destroyed, possibly by the aforementioned nuclear war the original seemed to hint at.
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Deckard in hiding
What's very obvious from this shot as K enters the hotel is that its occupant is expecting trouble. Officer K stepping carefully over a tripwire suggests a lot about what has been going on with Deckard since he left Los Angeles with the Replicant Rachael (Sean Young) 30 years earlier.
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Rick Deckard is back
Of course, Deckard leading his meeting with Officer K with a gun is also a good indicator that he's hiding out from the authorities, nefarious forces -- or both.
Warner Bros.
Everyone wants Deckard
It's tough to parse too much from the clips of action at the hotel, but it does suggest that K has been followed by bad guys -- maybe Leto's goons. And we see someone bust through a wall to take down Deckard. It's hard to tell in the fast-moving image, but it sure does look like the man plowing through a wall is, in fact, Officer K. It's not the only suggestion that Ryan Gosling is playing a Replicant, either.
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Who is Mackenzie Davis?
It's not clear yet who Mackenzie Davis' character is, but given her outfit and determination, she comes off like another Replicant -- possibly one of a group K is tasked with retiring earlier in the film. Her outfit calls back clothes worn by Replicants Pris (Daryl Hannah) and Zhora (Joanna Cassidy) in "Blade Runner."
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Finding Rachael's grave
This section, shot in snow with K and Deckard, looks to have some revelatory significance. The series of numbers -- 6-10-21 -- suggests a date of June 10, 2021. That'd be two years after "Blade Runner" takes place in 2019, which makes it a good bet this is where Deckard buried Rachael (Sean Young) after her Replicant lifespan ran out. The surrounding shots suggest this information might have some serious significance for K as well. Maybe because his memories are actually Deckard's, much the way Rachael's memories were those of Eldon Tyrell's niece? Just a guess.
Warner Bros.
Sylvia Hoeks is hunting Deckard
Seemingly dispatched by Leto, it seems clear that Hoeks is the antagonist who'll be giving Officer K the most grief in "Blade Runner 2049." She definitely comes off as a Replicant, as well.
Warner Bros.
Dave Bautista is definitely a Replicant
Immediately after the first shot of Bautista in the movie, he's tossing Officer K through a wall. Super strength is a well-known Replicant quality, leaving little doubt.
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Joi as a hologram
Joi appears repeatedly in the trailer as both a human and, seemingly a holographic ad. That seems like pretty good evidence that she's actually a Replicant, or one of many copies, although it's possible posing for hologram ads is just her job.
Warner Bros.
A lot is going on at this nightclub
Several shots from the trailer appear to be set here. They include K and Deckard together, where it seems like Deckard throws a punch at K, as well as some suggestion that the performer on stage is one of K's Replicant targets -- at the very least, a shot of a knife suggest violence is about to ensue. Expect some kind of throw-down.
Warner Bros.
Deckard captured
At some point or another, it looks like Hoeks manages to snag Deckard -- he appears to be handcuffed in her car here. That suggests Leto is after Deckard for some reason. That Tyrell Corp. is hunting an old ex-Blade Runner might lend credence to ambiguous suggestion from the original film: Rick Deckard is a Replicant. Although, he'd have to be a special one with no limit on his lifespan, which might be why he's being hunted in the first place.
Warner Bros.
No idea what's going on here ...
... but this apparently holographic room sure does look cool. That appears to be Officer K in the background, but it's hard to glean any other info from this shot.
Warner Bros.
More Joi advertising
With Joi's name appearing in this ad, a theory starts to take shape: Maybe by 2049, Replicants aren't banned on Earth, and business is booming. Joi may well be a commercially available Replicant model that anyone can purchase -- with all the creepy connotations that go with that.
Warner Bros.
One page left
The final shots of the trailer land in rapid succession. We see Officer K visibly angry, more shots of gunfights and an additional look at the attack on Deckard's hotel. The trailer closes with dialogue from Joi, telling K he's special -- and that his story isn't over yet, with one page left to be written. The closing shot of the book with pages torn out seems to give some clues about Officer K. If he's a Replicant with replaced memories, then his history isn't his own -- perhaps indicated by the book missing pages. And "one page left" in his story could well mean he's approaching his Replicant death.
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Clues, callbacks, and a little speculation on “Blade Runner 2049”

Fox’s newly-released “Blade Runner 2049” trailer is out, and while it looks gorgeous, it doesn’t tell us much about the upcoming film. Here’s what we think can be gleaned from the clues and callbacks to the original 1982 film. Warning: Spoilers!

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