• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

'Blade Runner 2049' Is A Box Office Disaster With Poor $13M Friday

Status
Not open for further replies.
Actually the original was critically panned, which is the opposite of what happened with 2049.

You know, I had heard that but never confirmed it.

My understanding was that is was initially polarizing but not outright panned, then later was re-evaluated as one of the best sci-fi films ever made.
 
The irony is that what happened to the original is now happening to the sequel:

Brilliant, evocative, and very cerebral genre film is released but alienates casual moviegoers.

What happens now will also mirror history:

Blade Runner 2049 will gradually become accepted as a masterpiece of filmmaking and will inspire ridiculous amounts of discussion and debate for years to come.

As it should.

I’m very glad this film got made, even if the box office tally is soft.
Agreed.

Liking and/or seeing Blade Runner has nothing to do with youth IMO, and everything to do with interest. If you like cyberpunk, sci-fi, noir, sci-fi noir, thoughtful sci-fi, are interested in classic/influential films or cinematography, then you probably have seen or are familiar with Blade Runner. That's not an age thing
Sure it does. To be interested in cyberpunk or sci-if noir, you have to be aware of their existence and options. My little brother loves sci-fi. He hadn't seen Blade Runner until 3 days ago because while he had heard the name before, he knew nothing about it and didn't have any compulsion to find out more until he heard about the new movie. Those of us who are older know about and have likely seen Blade Runner for any variety of reasons. We didn't have to actively seek it out; Blade Runner was a thing for GenX and prior. People who were young when Transformers was new would have had to actively seek out the movie nearly unprompted until now. So yes, age has plenty to do with your exposure and subsequently your interest levels.
 
You know, I had heard that but never confirmed it.

My understanding was that is was initially polarizing but not outright panned, then later was re-evaluated as one of the best sci-fi films ever made.
The Thing had a similar outcome. And it released the same year as Blade Runner. Now it’s considered a genre classic
 
The Thing had a similar outcome. And it released the same year as Blade Runner. Now it’s considered a genre classic

Funny how that works sometimes.

People place a lot of faith in critics but they get it wrong an awful lot.

Honestly, I'm pretty annoyed that Blade Runner 2049 is sitting below a 90% on Tomatoes given the quality of the film.
 

harSon

Banned
I have a feeling the genre is going to go dormant again soon. Too many big budgeted bombs are happening within the genre, and I fear that it'll spook studios into abandoning it.
 

Mashing

Member
Never seen a theater so empty on a opening Friday at 6:20 pm then I did when I saw BR 2049 this past Friday. It was pretty sad.
 

louiedog

Member
I remember seeing The Big Lebowski in an almost empty theater in the middle of nowhere town I grew up in and that movie has yearly festivals all over the country all these years later.

I saw Moonrise Kingdom at my local theater just outside a large city which was one of only a few in the area to carry it. Two ladies in line behind me were talking about how they drove 90 minutes to get there because it was their closest opportunity. It stayed on that screen for something like 4 months while the summer blockbusters came and went.

Bladerunner 2049 was sold out of most screenings at every theater near me this weekend. It's a shame this isn't making the money it seems to deserve all over the country, but hopefully it at least finds its audience like those other movies did and can become a classic.
 

Zombine

Banned
I'd want a sequel set in about 2149. After the rebellion and when things have settled down. Replicants and Humans are interbreeding, and there is a stable coexistence, but you have different factions trying to disrupt the "peaceful" society.

While this sounds like what would happen, it’s not a film that we would get right away (unless this film has absolutely insane legs). I doubt we’ll get any answers to those questions for 10+ years.
 
I actually think it's more than good; I think it surpasses the original, and that's coming from somebody who worships the first movie.
Blade Runner finally clicked with me a few weeks ago after not even finishing it out of a boredom the first time I tried to watch it

And while nothing in 2049 quite tops the claustrophobic cityscapes, the moody lighting, or Hauer’s performance, 2049 succeeds because it doesn’t really try to top those things. It paves its own way within the universe crafted by the first movie, and ends up exploring those familiar themes from different and even more nuanced angles than the first
 
I actually think it's more than good; I think it surpasses the original, and that's coming from somebody who worships the first movie.

I'm close to agreeing with you. But mainly because I watched the first again last night and feel like there's quite a lot in that film which just isn't good. Like when Deckard is intercepting the snake lady. Or a lot of the scenes with Rachel. Or how they signal Deckard being a replicant.

I think it's more of a diamond in the rough kind of film (Bladerunner 1982)
 

Chibot

Member
I actually think it's more than good; I think it surpasses the original, and that's coming from somebody who worships the first movie.

I agree, it's the best sci-fi movie I've seen in a long time. I always like to rewatch to confirm before putting a movie in my "all-time favorites list" but this one gave me that rare feeling.
 

Elandyll

Banned
I'm sorry :( I'm dying to see it, but couldn't this week end.
I really hope it has long legs, or at least does really well internationally.
 

Budi

Member
I've only seen the original once as a kid and for second time some years ago. So in preparation I think I should watch it again. But just to be clear, what is the cut I should watch?
 
Sure it does. To be interested in cyberpunk or sci-if noir, you have to be aware of their existence and options. My little brother loves sci-fi. He hadn't seen Blade Runner until 3 days ago because while he had heard the name before, he knew nothing about it and didn't have any compulsion to find out more until he heard about the new movie. Those of us who are older know about and have likely seen Blade Runner for any variety of reasons. We didn't have to actively seek it out; Blade Runner was a thing for GenX and prior. People who were young when Transformers was new would have had to actively seek out the movie nearly unprompted until now. So yes, age has plenty to do with your exposure and subsequently your interest levels.
I think you’re correlating awareness and interest with youth. Speaking from experience, I got into those genres through a long circuitous route that started with my first adult book aka a Jack Reacher thriller, somehow curved into military sci-fi like Old Man’s War, and then ended up in cyberpunk thanks to Altered Carbon.

Being young doesn’t preclude you from gaining an interest and awareness; if anything, I’d argue that if you’re into sci-fi, you’re more than likely going to introduced to older works more readily than other genres due to the likes of PKD, Bradbury (especially Bradbury through school), Asimov, and Star Wars.
 
The producers very much did not know what they were doing. Blade Runner means nothing to most people under 35 and that’s where most ticket sales come from. This movie has to make upwards of $400 million to make a profit and even if it does get there, the production company is probably going to have to shut down before then as they’re relatively small and said that this movie was “make or break” for them.


I stand corrected.
 
Hope they get the money back at some point.

Seems a lot of dough to spend on a sequel with so much time elapsed and the original wasn't a big hit with the mainstream but maybe there's some lets do something special mentality and it had to cost this much.
 

chekhonte

Member
Boo. This is the first Hollywood movie that I've like a lot in a very long time. Even though I was expecting to hate Gooseleg.
 
Just came out, I thought it was fantastic outside of one or two misses with the soundtrack. They got it right where it mattered most tho. Certainly the best cinema experience I've had since Fury Road, I much prefer it to the original.

There was 9 ppl in there including me. Normally as soon as the credits start rolling I'm off and I'm probably first out the door. Once this finished I had to sit there for a good few minutes, i wasn't even consciencesly reflecting on the film or anything I was just..i dunno tbh. I need to see it again. It must have had the same impact on everyone else as nobody even stirred for a good few minutes and I was still first out the door 😂

Edit: also the first film I've seen with Ryan Gosling in and i thought he was excellent.
 
While this sounds like what would happen, it’s not a film that we would get right away (unless this film has absolutely insane legs). I doubt we’ll get any answers to those questions for 10+ years.

I don't ever expect it to happen. I'm sure Scott has ideas of where a sequel would go, but I can't see anyone funding it. And I also can't imagine Villeneuve making a sequel.
 

Esiquio

Member
I really wanna see this but no one else wants to and I'm not going to the theater alone. So I'll have to wait for the bluray release.

I specifically want to see this movie alone. I actually prefer going to certain movies alone, because I don't want to hear other people's opinions or have to narrate shit to them. Exceptions: went to see GotG2 w/a smokeshow who just layed on me the whole time. Some movies are better in groups (comedies). Some movies, like Blade Runner and more cerebral or "slow" movies, are a lot better as a personal experience rather than a group one.
 

Raziel

Member
The irony is that what happened to the original is now happening to the sequel:

Brilliant, evocative, and very cerebral genre film is released but alienates casual moviegoers.

What happens now will also mirror history:

Blade Runner 2049 will gradually become accepted as a masterpiece of filmmaking and will inspire ridiculous amounts of discussion and debate for years to come.

As it should.

I’m very glad this film got made, even if the box office tally is soft.

The original's claim to fame is putting a new vision of the future to screen and other inspired elements. The sequel doesn't have much that's new or inspired or even exciting. I very much doubt it will mirror the original's legacy.
 

zethren

Banned
hot take. should have been faster paced with a bit more whizbang maybe. :/

Absolutely fucking not.

I don't really care if the movie bombs, it was fucking good. I mean it sucks that it's not being appreciated, but it's not like the original was a box office hit either.
 

Ether_Snake

安安安安安安安安安安安安安安安
The original's claim to fame is putting a new vision of the future to screen and other inspired elements. The sequel doesn't have much that's new or inspired or even exciting. I very much doubt it will mirror the original's legacy.

It is 100% certain it won't, it's not possible for many reasons, regardless of what the movie turned out to be.
 
It is 100% certain it won't, it's not possible for many reasons, regardless of what the movie turned out to be.
Its legacy will be different, ideally in how you can include alongside Aliens and such when talking about the best sequels, and Mad Max when discussing revitalizing a series while remaining true to its roots, which something a lot of sequels/reboots/modern remakes fail to do

I’d argue Mad Max FR and Blade Runner 2049 are this era’s The Thing, The Fly, Scarface, etc similar to how those were remakes of older movies that modernized those stories for those eras and improved upon them. We’re going to be talking about Fury Road and 2049 for years to come.
 

Budi

Member
Also the first film I've seen with Ryan Gosling in and i thought he was excellent.
Whoa really, this is surprising. Few recommendations from his movies would be Drive, Half Nelson, Blue Valentine and The Believer. Or these are my favorites, but he certainly has more movies worth a watch than just those.
 
Whoa really, this is surprising. Few recommendations from his movies would be Drive, Half Nelson, Blue Valentine and The Believer. Or these are my favorites, but he certainly has more movies worth a watch than just those.

I am just now realizing that I have never seen a Ryan Gosling movie either. The only thing I've seen him in is Drunk History Christmas. And soon, 2049.
 

Grizzlyjin

Supersonic, idiotic, disconnecting, not respecting, who would really ever wanna go and top that
Would it have fared better at PG-13?

I don't think so. Ghost in the Shell was PG-13 and had a female lead (which would presumably draw in more women which 2049 didn't do), and it flopped too. And honestly, what would the reaction have been if more families and teen had seen it? More walk outs. Doesn't really matter once you got their money, but they'd tell their friends "Nah, don't bother with it."

It looks like people just aren't interested in this type of film.
 

Grenchel

Member
Whoa really, this is surprising. Few recommendations from his movies would be Drive, Half Nelson, Blue Valentine and The Believer. Or these are my favorites, but he certainly has more movies worth a watch than just those.

I don't really have much to add other than I really love this movie. Not exactly underrated, but a lesser known great performance from gosling.
 
You needed to see Drive and The Nice Guys, like yesterday

Friends and I went to the movies when Drive first came out. I wanted to see Drive. They didn't know what it was. They just saw pink text and Ryan Gosling and assumed it was a girl's movie or something. SO! Instead! They dragged me to go see Dreamhouse starring Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz. I asked them what it's about and they said Daniel Craig hallucinates his dead family, which apparently is something they revealed in the trailer. Then I find out in the movie that's supposed to be a 3rd act twist.

But yeah, I should get around to watching Drive and The Nice Guys. Those are the two movies of his, aside from Blade Runner, that I've been itching to see but for some reason haven't.
 
Sucks that it isn't doing well but I'm just so glad it got made in the first place. One of the best movie going experiences I've ever had, and I'll be seeing it again on Tuesday.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom