It's a sequel 35 years in the making, but Blade Runner 2049 has come. So we took this opportunity to look back into the 80s version of the future, found some pretty cool things about the movie that started it all.
Here are seven things you didn't know about Blade Runner.
A lot of you guys already know that Blade Runner is based on the book "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" by Phillip K Dick's. But you probably didn't know that the producers behind the film, as well as it's original writer Hampton Fancher, didn't really even like the book that much.
The fact is, none of them found it all that interesting. But Fancher, who is, by the way, is back as a co-writer on Blade Runner 2049, got it in his head to adapt the book anyway. Turning it into a story that focussed on a detective chasing androids around. It was a much smaller story than we see in the final film and it would have relied on casting heavily. Because it was almost entirely characters talking, just people talking and a handful of locations, mostly apartments.
Fancher kept butting heads with the producers on adding in things he didn't want to add in, like sex scenes. Eventually, David Peoples was brought in to shape the script into what we know now. They just felt Fancher was too cerebral and they wanted more action and tasty hoots. Tasty hoots that are sometimes crashing through a window, which brings us to our next thing.
Zohr's clear plastic raincoat in her death scene is one of the most beloved costume pieces from the entire film amongst casual fans and hardcore cosplay enthusiasts alike. What you probably didn't know is that the addition of the raincoat was more a form of function than costume design.
The team wanted to make sure Joanna Cassidy's stunt double, the late Lee Polford, would be protected when she had to run through the pane of sugar glass. Sure it isn't real glass, but it also isn't necessarily 100% risk free.
In Hampton Fancher's version of the film, Zohr died under a bus, which doesn't sound all that risk free either. By the way, that was a bonus thing you didn't know.
As for the fact that it is far too obviously a completely different woman playing Zohr in the death scene, that can be blamed on lack of money and lack of time.
Blade Runner was over-budget and behind schedule and the suits were breathing down Ridley Scott's neck. So, they just threw a wig on Pulford that bared no resemblance to Cassidy's hair and ran with it. Rather, they had her run with it, through several windows. It's one of the most egregious face-palm moments of the film, but it clearly didn't stop Blade Runner from achieving classic status, and it didn't stop us from dropping another bonus thing.
Moving on.
Speaking of doubles who didn't resemble the actor they were doubling, that wasn't Darryl Hannah kicking Harrison Ford in the face just then. In a way, it was Decker kicking himself in the face, because it was stunt coordinator, Gary Caulms, who was also Harrison Ford's double, who did the kick.
Director Ridley Scott just wasn't pleased with the way the kick was working on the takes where Hannah did it herself. So Holmes had to get suited up as Pris, and he was able to get the seated kick just right. He told the crew that no one better laugh at him once he was in the get up. But we're guessing he was a little bit less successful with that than he was with the kick itself.