Entertainment
‘Blade Runner’ Is Back Like You’ve Never Seen It Before [Exclusive]
Originally deemed a failure when it hit theaters in 1982, Blade Runner has gone on to become one of the most acclaimed and influential science fiction films of all time. And while you can explore the movie’s sequels, novels, and comic books, you’ll soon have an all-new way to walk the neon-lit streets of a future Los Angeles. Collider is proud to exclusively announce that a new Blade Runner immersive experience is being developed by Behaviour Interactive and PHI Studio, and will be released in 2027.
The new immersive experience will plunge viewers into the high-tech urban dystopia of Blade Runner 2049, letting them experience that fully realized science fiction world like never before. Collider had a chance to talk to Dominique Lebel, Senior Vice-President at Behaviour Interactive, and Julie Tremblay, General Manager at PHI Studio about the upcoming project. Lebel discussed the relevance of Blade Runner today, and how the project will be a universal experience:
Blade Runner depicts a world where the line between human and artificial is becoming increasingly blurred. The dystopian world depicted in Blade Runner may seem increasingly real today, which is why it remains as powerful as ever. The immersive experience will allow visitors to dive back into this universe, to confront it while enjoying a powerful interactive and visual experience. The experience is designed for everyone, not just Blade Runner fans.
Tremblay, meanwhile, emphasized Blade Runner‘s prophetic nature when it came to its vision of the future, and the still-unanswered questions that it raises:
The questions at the core of this universe; What makes us human? Who holds power? What do we owe each other in a world shaped by technology? Are the questions we’re all living with right now. The parallels are somehow more real than ever, which is what makes this universe thrilling!
Tremblay also revealed that while fans will recognize the aesthetics and themes of Blade Runner, this is “not a film adaptation or a traditional exhibition.” Rather, it is “a premium, multisensory experience combining immersive environments, cinematic visuals, spatialized sound, interactivity, and physical exploration. We want people to feel fully surrounded by the world of Blade Runner — its beauty, tension, mystery, and scale.” She went on to say that she wants everyone who experiences it to share it together in the same way:
The dream is that different generations can experience it together — people who grew up with the films and younger audiences discovering Blade Runner for the first time — and all leave equally excited by the world.
The experience was developed in collaboration with Alcon Entertainment, the holder of the Blade Runner intellectual property rights. It will be unveiled in several North American cities starting in 2027.
What Is ‘Blade Runner’?
Loosely adapted from the Philip K. Dick novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Blade Runner centers around Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a “blade runner” charged with finding rogue replicants (artificial human beings). As he searches for a group led by the crafty and deadly Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer), he becomes entangled with Rachael (Sean Young), a beautiful replicant who is unaware of her true nature…and starts to wonder if he, too, is unaware of his own real origins. Directed by Ridley Scott, written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples, and featuring music by Vangelis and conceptual designs by Syd Mead, the noir-tinged film was a financial and critical disappointment upon its 1982 release, but soon became a cult classic, and is considered one of the pillars of the cyberpunk genre. Scott, who was never fully satisfied with the changes the studio made to the original film, has released a number of director’s cuts, culminating in 2007’s definitive The Final Cut.
After it achieved cult success, Blade Runner became a franchise, with a number of novels and comic books spinning out of the original film. A 2017 sequel movie, Blade Runner 2049, featured an older Deckard working with police replicant K (Ryan Gosling) to find the miraculous offspring of a deceased replicant. A new Prime Video series, Blade Runner 2099, is now in post-production; it will star Michelle Yeoh and Hunter Schaefer.
The Blade Runner immersive experience will be released in 2027. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.
- Release Date
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June 25, 1982
- Runtime
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118 minutes
- Writers
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David Webb Peoples, Hampton Fancher, Philip K. Dick
- Producers
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Michael Deeley, Run Run Shaw
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