Blade Runner redefined sci-fi and introduced geeks to origami. Now, 35 years later and with Hollywood’s hippest director in control, Blade Runner 2049 promises to show you even more things you wouldn’t believe.
At Denis Villeneuve’s command, rain begins to fall. Waves crash against a vast sea wall that shields Los Angeles from an enraged ocean. It’s deep into the night, and only the sporadic searchlights that dance across the water provide any illumination. An effect one could happily describe as Blade Runner-y.
“Action!”
Out in the half-light, Ryan Gosling, wrapped in a hefty overcoat, finishes his push-ups and Sylvia Hoeks, head-to-toe in skin-tight artificial leather, concludes her lunges.
At an unseen signal, they set off. No quarter is given: Gosling’s Officer K and Hoeks’ Luv come to expertly choreographed blows. Finally, with an ungentlemanly swivel of his hips, K launches Luv into the surf.
Fictionally speaking, it is 2049 in a noir-soaked LA, 30 years after Blade Runner’s cop hero Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) fled the city with Rachael, his replicant (read: android) lover, his own humanity dependent on who you ask. But in real-world terms it’s October 2016, on the outskirts of Hungary, where the Blade Runner 2049 shoot has taken over a giant water tank. The long-awaited sequel is two-thirds of the way towards completion and nothing seems amiss, though Ford himself is ensconsed in his trailer, replaced by a stunt double snared in cuffs in a nearby Spinner craft.
As the scene is recomposed for another take, Villeneuve heads in our direction. “I feel for my actors, but it is important to be in contact with the elements, no?” he tells us with a laugh. “I am on day 65 of shooting, I think, and I have seen three greenscreens so far. We are trying to do this in the spirit of the original. In order to step forwards, you have to step backwards.”
Denne historien er fra October 7, 2017-utgaven av 8 Days.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra October 7, 2017-utgaven av 8 Days.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
What a G.E.M.!
Hongkong singer and new Tag Heuer global ambassador G.E.M. TANG, in town recently for F1, has a “guilty indulgence” that will just make you feel more guilty about yours.
The Twins Effect
Is the local showbiz scene big enough for both JAYLEY and HAYLEY WOO to twin and win? We compare and contrast.
Wake-Up Call
Following SHINee frontman JONGHYUN's suicide after a long struggle with depression, fans and celebs are urging the K-pop industry to pay more attention to the well-being of their artistes.
Coming Clean
Chart-topping British band CLEAN BANDIT, in town on Jan 22 for a gig, may be famous for using classical music in their hits, but that won’t stop them from collaborating with Beyoncé, as bassist Jack Patterson tells us over the phone.
Wong Time Right Target
The always-glam FANN WONG goes glum for her first major movie role in three years.
Star Ship Troopers
Space Travel is about to get more exciting. Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence, two actors already in Hollywood’s Stratosphere, take off this week for the Sci-Fi Romance Passengers.
Sandra Riley Tang, 25
The Sam Willo ws singer works out because “I really love to eat”. Yes, The Yoga Cofounder’s fad diet days are definitely over.
Comme What May
The man behind the Comme des F***down streetwear, Rusland Karablin, is so Zen (check out the mantra emblazoned on his swag), he doesn’t mind that everyone from Bugis to Bangkok is bootlegging his stuff.
“My Parents Told Me: You're On Your Own Now”
Getting cut off financially by her folks turned Asia’s Next Top Model alum AIMEE CHENG- BRADSHAW into a “super frugal” model. Except when it comes to yoga and shoes.
A Slice Of New York In Singapore
WOLFGANG’S STEAKHOUSE at the new Intercontinental Singapore Robertson Quay offers an authentic NYC steakhouse dining experience. But be prepared to leave with a much emptier wallet and smelling of beef fat.