Will Blade Runner 3 Ever Happen?

The future of the Blade Runner series is currently uncertain, but could Blade Runner 3 ever happen, and if so when might it release? Blade Runner is a 1980s sci-fi cult classic turned franchise, with the release of Blade Runner 2049 creating a new story that connected to and honored the original perfectly. The 2017 movie also left the door open for a third installment, should Warner Bros, be interested in making a Blade Runner 3.

Although Blade Runner is now revered as an all time great science fiction movie, both it and Blade Runner 2049 received a mixed reception from critics and general audiences upon release. Still, this is a period where Hollywood studios love to draw upon any and all established IPs, and while it’s only speculation, Blade Runner 2049’s ending and the franchises expansive universe paves way for a third film. Here’s what to expect from Blade Runner 3, should it happen.

Will Blade Runner 3 Ever Happen?

Blade Runner 3 isn’t totally out of the question. Sequels to the original had been in discussion after its release, but were restricted due to the rights over Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?, the novel upon which the film is based. Blade Runner 2049 took decades before it was finally made, with Ridley Scott signing on as director in 2011, and Denis Villeneuve taking his place in 2015. Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner had a rocky journey to success. When it came out in 1982, it didn’t perform well at the box office and only became more appreciated after it’s release. Despite its poor performance, a sequel was still made eventually, so perhaps the same thing will happen once again with Blade Runner 3, despite Blade Runner 2049‘s own box office failure. Its making is also perhaps dependant on the involvement of Villeneuve or Scott, both of whom have other projects to tackle first. For his part, Villeneuve has expressed more interest in returning to the Blade Runner universe with a spinoff rather than a sequel.

What Blade Runner 3’s Release Date Could Be

If Villeneuve were to sign on to make Blade Runner 3, then that would affect the time it takes to come out. His latest project Dune is set to release in December 2020, and the intent is for that to be part one of two potential movies. It’d likely be at least another 2-3 years before he could even enter production on Blade Runner 3, and that’s assuming it was announced soon. If Ridley Scott were asked to direct it instead, it would also involve a multiple-year development process, as he is in the middle of production for The Last Duel. It took 4 years just for Villeneuve to become attached to Blade Runner 2049, and another two before its release. Unless a different director is brought on, the likelihood is that it’ll take 3 or 4 years at the very least to develop.

What Blade Runner 3’s Story Could Be About

Blade Runner 2049 is a continuation of Blade Runner while also telling its own story. It takes place 30 years after the events of Blade Runner and follows K, a blade runner who is also a replicant questioning his own origins. Blade Runner 2049 has an open ending that leaves room for the universe to still be explored. The film ends with the implication that K dies, but since he’s a replicant that means he could theoretically be remade, which means a potential storyline could focus on his return. Blade Runner 3 could also look into Deckard’s daughter Ana, who for the duration of the film works as a memory designer for Niander Wallace.

The film ends as she and Deckard reunite, but there are still things audiences don’t know about her that could be explored. In Blade Runner 2049, replicants are more advanced, and if K has his own journey of self-discovery which makes him question if he’s a replicant or a human, what’s to say that other replicants don’t feel the same? This could all be touched upon in Blade Runner 3. There are so many different directions the franchise could go in, whether it be a spin-off or a sequel that once again revisits the world of Blade Runner. After all, the two films came out 35 years apart, so it is a possibility that Blade Runner 3 will arrive further into the future.

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Evi Lodge
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Evi Lodge is a student and avid cinema-goer. She currently writes list articles, and when she is not writing or studying, she’s probably reading a good book and catching up on pop culture.

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