Blade Runner 2049

Blade Runner 2049, released in 2017, is an American science fiction film directed by Denis Villeneuve. The screenplay was written by Hampton Fancher and Michael Green, based on a story by Fancher. It serves as a sequel to the 1982 film *Blade Runner*. Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford lead the cast, with supporting performances from Ana de Armas, Sylvia Hoeks, Robin Wright, Mackenzie Davis, Dave Bautista, and Jared Leto. Ford and Edward James Olmos reprise their roles as Rick Deckard and Gaff, respectively. Gosling plays K, a blade runner who discovers a secret that could destabilize society and civilization itself. Ideas for a sequel emerged in the 1990s, but licensing issues delayed progress. Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson acquired the film rights from Bud Yorkin. Ridley Scott initially planned to direct but stepped down, serving as executive producer instead, with Villeneuve later taking over. Financing came from a partnership between Alcon Entertainment and Sony Pictures, along with a tax rebate from the Hungarian government. Warner Bros., which distributed the original, handled North American release on behalf of Alcon, while Sony managed international distribution. Principal photography took place over four months from July to November 2016, mostly on two soundstages in Budapest. The film premiered at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on October 3, 2017, and was released in the United States on October 6. Critics praised it for its cast performances, direction, cinematography, and fidelity to the original. However, it underperformed at the box office, earning $276.6 million worldwide against a production budget of $150–185 million, falling short of its estimated $400 million break-even point. Among its accolades, it won Academy Awards for Best Cinematography and Best Visual Effects out of five nominations, and received eight British Academy Film Awards nominations, winning for Best Cinematography and Best Special Visual Effects. A sequel television series, *Blade Runner 2099*, is in development at Amazon MGM Studios, with Scott returning as executive producer. In 2049 Los Angeles, bioengineered humans called replicants are still used as slave labor. K (serial number KD6-3.7), a Nexus-9 replicant, works for the LAPD as a blade runner, hunting and retiring rogue replicants.