Denis Villeneuve's sci-fi epic
Blade Runner 2049 generated a lot of different reactions from fans and critics, but there's one thing that everyone can agree on:
it's really long.
Many have speculated that the film's 164-minute runtime is a big reason it
underperformed at the box office. Even Ridley Scott, the film's producer and director of the first
Blade Runner, said
the movie was too long.
However, at one point the film was significantly longer. Villeneuve recently told Screen Crush that during the editing process, it even crossed his mind that the film should be split in two. He elaborates:
"The thing is, it’s true that the first cut was four hours and at one point we were like, 'Okay, do we go to the producer and release it in two?' But let’s say the idea of the movie being in two parts didn’t get out of the editing room. [Laughs] No, the best incarnation of the movie is what is in the theater. What was striking is that the four-hour cut was quite strong."
While Joe Walker, the movie's editor, had previously mentioned the idea of splitting the movie in two, Villeneuve's comments make it clear that this was only briefly considered. Villeneuve added that the final cut they decided on was
"more elegant" and that four hours
"was too self-indulgent." The director explains:
"And it’s a strange conversation because we’re talking about Blade Runner, so people want to know if there are other kinds of cuts. It’s [that way] in all movies, there’s always a long cut at the beginning. The first cut is always long and it’s a process and a lot of editing."
Did you think
Blade Runner 2049 was too long? Would you watch a four-hour cut? Comment below!