Denis Villeneuve Speculates Why BLADE RUNNER 2049 Underperformed At The Box Office

Denis Villeneuve Speculates Why BLADE RUNNER 2049 Underperformed At The Box Office

French-Canadian filmmaker Denis Villeneuve is just as confused as everyone else about Blade Runner 2049's disappointing box office run, but he speculates why it didn't connect with a wide audience.

By MattIsForReal - Nov 21, 2017 08:11 AM EST
Filed Under: Sci-Fi
Source: Yahoo Entertainment
Leading up to release of Blade Runner 2049, the sequel to Ridley Scott's 1982 sci-fi noir had all the ingredients of a box-office smash: glowing reviews, a star-studded cast featuring newcomer Ryan Gosling and returning star Harrison Ford, and a hot director - Denis Villeneuve - coming off the highly successful alien sci-fi Arrival. Throw in the fact that it was a long-awaited sequel to one of the most influential sci-fi films of all time, and Blade Runner 2049's box office disappointment is a mystery to many, including director Denis Villeneuve.

Speaking to Yahoo Entertainment, during a Facebook Live interview, Villeneuve was asked to make sense of the disappointing box office run of Blade Runner 2049 which grossed just $249 million worldwide.

“I’m still digesting it,” Villeneuve admitted. “We had the best [critics’ reviews]. I’ve never had a movie welcomed like that. At the same time the box office in the United States was a disappointment, that’s
true, because those movies are expensive. It will still make tons of money, but not enough.”

With production and marketing costs factored in, Blade Runner 2049 is believed to have lost $80 million. Although the film did perform well in Europe and larger U.S. cities, Villeneuve could only speculate why it didn't resonate with a larger audience.

“I think because maybe people were not familiar enough with the universe. And the fact that the movie’s long [2 hours, 44 minutes run time]," the French-Canadian filmmaker guessed. "I don’t know. It’s still a mystery to me. I make movies — I don’t sell them.” 

With that in mind, Villeneuve acknowledged that he is "at peace with is the fact that the hardcore fans that loved the first movie really welcomed this one," adding: "that for me means the world.”

So perhaps its destiny then, that Blade Runner 2049 is experiencing the same fate as Scott's original Blade Runner, which also bombed at the box office, despite later becoming a cult classic and an inspiration to many future sci-fi films.

You can watch the full interview with director Denis Villeneuve below.


HIT MAN Star Glen Powell Spotted On Set Of Edgar Wright's THE RUNNING MAN; Movie's Logo Revealed
Related:

HIT MAN Star Glen Powell Spotted On Set Of Edgar Wright's THE RUNNING MAN; Movie's Logo Revealed

SQUID GAME Season 2 Trailer Sees Lee Jung-jae Embark On A Bloody New Mission As Player 456
Recommended For You:

SQUID GAME Season 2 Trailer Sees Lee Jung-jae Embark On A Bloody New Mission As Player 456

DISCLAIMER: As a user generated site and platform, ComicBookMovie.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and "Safe Harbor" provisions.

This post was submitted by a user who has agreed to our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines. ComicBookMovie.com will disable users who knowingly commit plagiarism, piracy, trademark or copyright infringement. Please CONTACT US for expeditious removal of copyrighted/trademarked content. CLICK HERE to learn more about our copyright and trademark policies.

Note that ComicBookMovie.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.

1 2 3 4 5
Griela
Griela - 11/21/2017, 9:26 AM
Bladerunner was never a mainstream movie. I don't think most people would sit through the final cut of the original.
TBobshandlebar
TBobshandlebar - 11/21/2017, 9:51 AM
@Griela - I want to see it, I just limit my theater money and time now. I can't justify seeing this along with other films I want to see
MaximusTheMad
MaximusTheMad - 11/21/2017, 9:27 AM
I'm glad he didn't blame it on superhero movies.


TheUnworthyThor
TheUnworthyThor - 11/21/2017, 9:27 AM
The reason it didn’t do well is pretty simple. It was a big budget sequel to 30 year old cult film.
Sephiroth
Sephiroth - 11/21/2017, 9:28 AM
Regardless, it's still a great movie.
Brave
Brave - 11/21/2017, 9:28 AM
Unfortunately, audiences don't care about how good a film is. They only care about how appealing a film is. Anyone with a brain could have told you that Blade Runner 2049 looked like a great film -- but did it look like an appealing film that warrants a must-see theater experience?
CaptainElrond
CaptainElrond - 11/21/2017, 9:29 AM
Amazing film, best film this year.
1 2 3 4 5
View Recorder