by: S. Scott Stanikmas

As soon as the sequel to Blade Runner was announced it was like the sky opened and Armageddon was announced. The hardcore fanbase for the Ridley Scott classic is mostly of the mind that this is one of those films that is perfect as is and shouldn’t be bastardized by being made into a franchise.

And director Denis Villeneuve was actually among those. In an interview with Collider, the filmmaker spoke about how he both loved and hated the idea of a sequel:

When I heard that Ridley Scott wanted to do another movie in the Blade Runner universe, at first my reaction was that it’s a fantastic idea, but it may be a very bad idea. I’m among the hardcore fans of Blade Runner. Blade Runner is one of my favorite movies of all time. It’s a movie that is linked with my love and passion for cinema.

But in the end it was his love of the movie that led him to accept the job of sequel director and (become possibly one of the most vilified directors if this goes bad):

I’m totally aware of the huge challenge. It’s a risk I know that every single fan who walks into the theater will walk in with a baseball bat. I’m aware of that and I respect that, and it’s okay with me because it’s art. Art is risk, and I have to take risks. It’s gonna be the biggest risk of my life but I’m okay with that. For me it’s very exciting; it’s just so inspiring, I’m so inspired. I’ve been dreaming to do sci-fi since I was 10 years old, and I said “no” to a lot of sequels. I couldn’t say “no” to Blade Runner. I love it too much, so I said, “Alright fuck it, I will do it and give everything I have to make it great.”

Villeneuve wasn’t forthcoming with any details but he did say that the sequel would be autonomous and stand on its own, probably much like how Prometheus is part of the Alien universe but stands on its own. He did mention just which version of the four that have been released commercially resonates the most with him:

The only thing I can say is I was raised with the original cut, the original version that Ridley doesn’t like. That’s the Blade Runner that I was introduced to at the beginning and that I loved for years, and then I must say that I’m someone that appreciated the very last cut, the [Final Cut] version. So between all the different cuts, for me it’s the first and the very last that I’m more inspired by.

Blade Runner 2, which reportedly will star Harrison Ford and possibly Ryan Gosling, has been rumored to hit theaters at some point in 2017.