Cyberpunk Review » Blade Runner Final Cut Coming in 2007!

May 31, 2006

Blade Runner Final Cut Coming in 2007!

Blade Runner screen capture

 

Neuromancer posted in the meatspace that Scifi.com is reporting that all the legal issues have been cleared up for Ridley Scott to finalize his work on a definitive version of Blade Runner.

 

Warner Home Video will issue a new remastered director’s cut of the classic SF movie Blade Runner in September now that it has cleared up rights issues, followed by a theatrical release of a version promised to be truly director Ridley Scott’s final cut, Variety reported. Warner’s rights to Blade Runner lapsed a year ago, but the studio has since negotiated a long-term license.

The movie has a troubled history. When Scott ran over budget, completion bond guarantors took control of it and made substantial changes before its 1982 theatrical release, adding a voice-over and a happy ending. That version was replaced by the much better-received director’s cut in 1992, but Scott has long been unhappy with it, complaining that he was rushed and unable to give it proper attention.

Scott started working on the final cut version in 2000, but that project was shelved by Warner soon after, apparently because the studio couldn’t come to terms with Jerry Perenchio over rights issues.

The restored “director’s cut” will debut on home video in September and will remain on sale for only four months, after which time it will be placed on moratorium. Blade Runner: Final Cut will arrive in 2007 for a limited 25th-anniversary theatrical run, followed by a special-edition DVD with the three previous versions offered as alternate viewing. Besides the original theatrical version and director’s cut, the expanded international theatrical cut will be included. The set will also contain additional bonus materials.

 

We’ve had so many stops and starts with this that it almost seems too good to be true. I doubt I’ll be able to wait on the remastered version of the Directors’ Cut either, as the current Blade Runner DVD quality is far from good. Personally though, I’m really hoping for a nice featurette in the 2007 version detailing Blade Runner’s enormous influence on the genre.

This post has been filed under Upcoming Movies by SFAM.

Comments

May 31, 2006

species said:

all i can say is….. ’bout fricken time.

Sinnyo said:

At last! I had to resort to rather desperate means just to get Blade Runner onto my DVD player given its lack of British release, and it was the director’s cut at that. I very much look forward to watching the original without the degradation witnessed on an ancient VHS tape.

SFAM said:

Wow, Sinnyo, I hadn’t realized that Blade Runner hadn’t had a British release. That totally sucks! And yeah, it will be terrific eventually watching the final cut. I wonder what new scenes will be added.

Case said:

In the words of Homer Simpson: “Woo hoo!”

David Steele said:

Does any other medium give us this many re-visits? I wonder how well a re-write of Fahrenheit 451 would have been received, or perhaps a happy ending version of 1984? Perhaps Paul McCartney might like to have a go at reworking “Sergeant Pepper” again? Or maybe Whistler could have been more satisfied if he’d painted his Grandmother in a pair of mirrorshades?

No doubt We’ll get a few new special effects. Probably even the rescued footage of the missing execution that was considered too dull to make the last two cuts. Personally speaking, I just hope they make a better job of this patch job than George Lucas made of Han Solo’s remastered encounter with Jabba in SW 4

In my opinion it would do much more justice to the memory of Phillip K Dick, and to Cyberpunk, if Ridley Scott would put his money into making a top-notch version of Ubik.

SFAM said:

Hi David, you make a really good point - we castigate Lucas for going back to his movies and we’re all foaming at the mouth for Ridley Scott’s version. I guess the rationale for this is sometimes a director doesn’t get to put out what he originally wanted - that there was a version sitting in storage that the studio nixed. This was the case with Blade Runner. Star Wars did not have this dynamic - there, Lucas just felt he didn’t have enough time to do what he really wanted with them, but it turns out the fans liked them FAR better as they originally were.

I’ll go on record as saying I’ll be pretty damn pissed if Ridley Scott goes CG crazy with the Final Cut. The world of Blade Runner CLEARLY looks awesome as it is - its massive influence attests to this. My guess (OK, well, my hope) is that Scott just wants to add a few story scenes, but I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

June 1, 2006

Case said:

Personally, I don’t care WHAT a director does with his own film. The way I see it, it is their baby, their brainchild…and they can do with it as they please. The problem I have is when the original version is not made as readily available as the “new, improved” version. This is the only misstep Lucas has made, in my opinion (although apparently even he is trying to rectify this by releasing the original trilogy on DVD this fall, unaltered). At the end of the day, I couldn’t care less what Scott does to RUNNER. I’ll always have my copy of “The Director’s Cut” on DVD…and that will always remain the definitive version, in my mind. Personally, I’m just as curious to see how he retools his work as I was back in 1997 when the special editions of the SW trilogy were released. Sure, I had my problems with them, as many others did…but the memory I had of them from my childhood was still there, still vivid on the edge of my brain. A few CGI creatures added couldn’t take that away. Ditto RUNNER.

As an author (whose name escapes me right now) once said, when asked how he felt about Hollywood screwing up his books: “They didn’t screw them up, they’re still sitting on the shelf right there.”

September 3, 2006

hal pehlich said:

bladerunner:the final cut or special edition,or whatever it’s called is still one of my favorite sci-fi film and still is. i’m very thrilled that mr. scott’s doing this, i’m looking forward to see his final new version,his masterpiece on the big screen once again,then buying it on dvd.i’m looking forward to it,i’m sure alot of fans are as well.you’ve made my day.thank you.

September 5, 2006

SFAM said:

Hi Hal Pehlich, we all feel pretty much as you do. We can’t wait!

September 7, 2006

SteMcNay said:

It seems we’ve had to wait way too long to see all the different versions of this film, but hopefully it’ll be worth the wait. I didn’t like what Scott did to his Director’s Cut of Alien, and think he ruined the final act, but if we have lots of different versions of Blade Runner, there’s something to satisfy everyone. I agree that CGI will not work in this film - I don’t think the film stock they used for non-FX sequences would handle new scenes anyway as the depth of field was limited to begin with in the city scenes and they’d stand out like a sore thumb.

September 15, 2006

D said:

Case, that was Alan Moore

September 30, 2006

hal pehlich said:

hi,me again.i’m currently working on a BLADERUNNER poster,it’s black,white and grey,it’s entirely different from the movie poster.if you’re interested,or you know anyone who’d love to own a copy of it,or put it on one of the BLADERUNNER websites,keep me posted.the size’s 11×17.i’m sure countless fans would love it.take care. hal pehlich

October 5, 2006

Snyper said:

Is this the same as the ‘High Definition’ version that was accidentally broadcast on american TV (an unconfirmed source said the network should not have had access to this version) and distributed as a DVD9 on a little-known torrent site? Its visual quality is significantly better than the DVD release. Definately something to look forward to.

January 13, 2007

Rick Decker said:

Yeah Ive been waiting for the final cut with much enthusiasm, you see Im a nexus 7, and we have an unlimited life span, so 25 years is only a drop in the bucket for me to wait, but you humans must be very anxious by now……..Rick

January 14, 2007

darren seeley said:

D, I thought it was Stephen King.

January 16, 2007

SFAM said:

hal pehlich, when you’re done with the poster, email me a copy, or better yet, post it in the Meatspace. Maybe we could get it on the front here.

February 19, 2007

hal pehlich said:

Hello,
The Blade Runner poster’s completed! It’s on Blade Zone, Blade Runner Font Homepage & one of the top Harrison Ford sites. You should be able to find the BR poster on one of those sites. I’m working on a second Blade Runner art poster in March. If you’re interested, let me know. Thanks.

February 20, 2007

Netrunner said:

Woooaa, a final cut of BR coming this year!
I will get this one for sure….. let’s hope it kicks ass.

//Netrunner

What the hell is limited edition anymore? I mean… once it is out… and digital… who cares! There is no limit!

SFAM said:

Hi hal pehlich, give the direct link the poster if you could. I didn’t find it.

But, um, I just had a fear about the final cut - what if Ripley decides to completely remove the ambiguity concerning whether Deckherd is a replicant? That would suck.

Hal Pehlich said:

Hello, SFAM

Go to BladeZone: The Online Blade Runner Fan Club & Museum. There you find the lovely Jovanka exclusive interview, under that you’ll see, “BladeZone News & Features” & you can’t miss it. It’ll say, “February 5th 2007… Hal’s fantastic poster has been moved to the gallery.” Click it & the poster will appear, I’m sure BR fans will love it.

April 8, 2007

Dyce said:

where IS it? It IS still coming… right?
this hasn’t been swept under the carpet, has it?

May 13, 2007

Dyce said:

hey, has anyone seen this?
http://www.aintitcool.com/node/32449
not seen it commented on on here, and this is a bit of old news, i think, but still…

May 20, 2007

SM said:


May 23, 2007

pizo said:

I think if its cleaned up, audio maxed to its best and give a version with or without the narration (a choice) I’d be very happy! This is one of my favorite Sci-fi films and hope they could do a sequal following the books. Although Nothing would ever touch this one for sure.

May 25, 2007

Dyce said:

have you read Future Noir, The Making of Blade Runner?
The original origin of the Directors Cut was the Work Cut, the was accidentally shown at various theatres as a director’s cut. When Scott found out about this he got a little miffed as the movie was sloppilly edited (like my spelling) not colour corrected and had temp music, but it was very very differant from all released versions, and considered by some to be better. Scott wanted to use this version as the blue-print for his directors cut, but they ran out of time (there was a tight deadline, apparently, and Scott was just happy to have his unicorn back, bless)
So is this version going to be THAT version?
ALso in the book is a transcript of a request for more money for reshoots from scott to the Studio, which included reshooting the scene i talked about, as well as shooting that actress’s intro, which is a stylish striptease, which happens off screen in the finished movie and was never shot.
Anyway, there you go. I’d double check the book, but i left it at my Ex girlfirend’s…
:(

May 28, 2007

Klaw said:

To Dyce:

Yes I’ve read the book, very good insider info about all aspects of a great film. Technically Ridley didn’t work on the Directors Cut, another archivist did it, and only consulted with Ridley by phone. So yes, he wasn’t completely content with the rushed release needless to say. I honestly have no idea what Ridley has planned, it’s been very hush hush. He is reshooting some scenes, but if it’s only to aid CGI remastering efforts, or what, noone knows. The only definitive info I know of is that a trailer is scheduled for August, whenever ‘300′ releases on DVD.

randomrob said:

Ridley, please remove the Unicorn from ‘Legend’… please please please. :p

(Yes I know it ties into Gaff’s origami unicorn implying Deckard has implanted memories, too…)

May 29, 2007

Klaw said:

Hehe rob… yeah, I hate the unicorn too. I still am perplexed how a director goes from Alien.. to Blade Runner… to Legend… wtf?

randomrob said:

I always had the feeling after BR, Scott was probably under the gun financially to not run amok… Tom Cruise was probably a bargain actor back then. lol.

June 11, 2007

Klaw said:

Some minor news from an interview with Ridley Scott recently:

www.tyrell-corporation.pp.se

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