Original ‘Blade Runner’ Villain Displeased with ‘2049’

“I knew that wasn’t going to work,” said Blade Runner villain Rutger Hauer about the film’s sequel.

The actor voiced his displeasure with the sci-fi classic’s successor at the Berlin Film Festival when The Hollywood Reporter asked if he had seen the Ryan Gosling-led film.

“I sniff and scratch at it. It looks great but I struggle to see why that film was necessary,” Hauer said. “I just think if something is so beautiful, you should just leave it alone and make another film. Don’t lean with one elbow on the success that was earned over 30 years in the underground.”

The 74-year-old actor goes on to compare the original to Steven Spielberg’s E.T. and how both films are about finding humanity. However, all Hauer found in Blade Runner 2049 was a tribute.

“In many ways, Blade Runner wasn’t about the replicants, it was about what does it mean to be human? It’s like E.T.,” Hauer said. “But I’m not certain what the question was in the second Blade Runner. It’s not a character-driven movie and there’s no humor, there’s no love, there’s no soul. You can see the homage to the original. But that’s not enough to me. I knew that wasn’t going to work. But I think it’s not important what I think.”

Blade Runner 2049 received positive reviews from critics with an 87% on Rotten Tomatoes and an 81 on Metacritic. The movie carried a $150 million production budget and grossed $259.2 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo.

While that all sounds like success, it was reported the movie needed to clear $400 million to be a hit. According to a THR story in November, investors were looking at $80 million in losses.

That financial hit doesn’t seem so bad with the numerous accolades the film has received, especially for its cinematography, production design, score and visual effects. At least the money went to a job well done, fellas! 🙂

That being said, there have been a few layoffs…

Hauer is now starring in Samson, which opened domestically on Friday. Last year, he starred in Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets.