Few science fiction films have made as lasting an impression as Blade Runner. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick, published in 1968, was made into a film in 1982 under the direction of Ridley Scott. The movie has a sizable cult following. But many people might not be aware of the profound impact it had on Dick; in fact, Harrison Ford, who played the lead role, was the one who really caught his attention.
In his adaptation of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Scott transplanted the visual style of the film noir into a dystopian future. And the AFI Life Achievement Award-winning actor was the ideal choice to play the classic hard-boiled noir antihero, Rick Deckard.
The film also starred Sean Young, Rutger Hauer, and Edward James Olmos in significant roles.
Blade Runner Author Was In Awe of Harrison Ford
Philip K. Dick was astounded by Harrison Ford‘s portrayal of Rick Deckard in Ridley Scott’s film adaptation of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? The science-fiction writer believed that The Fugitive actor had accurately captured the character after seeing him portray the role on the film set.
His skill and commitment to bringing the character to life impressed the late author. In the late writer’s words, as quoted by IMDb:
“He [Harrison Ford] has been more Deckard than I had imagined. It has been incredible. Deckard exists!”
A follow-up film with Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford as the main stars, titled Blade Runner 2049, was released in 2017. Two Academy Awards were given to the movie, directed by Denis Villeneuve, for cinematography and special effects.
The chances of a third movie remaining are slim. Villeneuve did, however, inform Empire in 2020 that he would be open to returning to direct a third movie. However, the project would need to appropriately satiate his creative urges:
“It’s such an inspiring place, the Blade Runner world. The problem I have is the word “sequel.” I think cinema needs original stories. … It would need to be a project on its own. Something disconnected from both other movies. A detective noir story set in the future… I wake up sometimes in the night dreaming about it.”
Harrison Ford Once Said That Filming Blade Runner Was A ‘Nightmare’
With the sci-fi film Blade Runner, Harrison Ford added another classic to his impressive filmography. Even though the movie and his performance received high praise, he had a problem with one particular aspect of it.
The actor, who turned 81 this year, was not the first choice for the lead role in Blade Runner. When director Ridley Scott agreed to work on the film, he chose Dustin Hoffman as the lead actor. However, the latter eventually left the project due to creative differences.
Meanwhile, when Ford was chosen to play the lead, he did not seem to be as enthusiastic about the film. The actor once told LA Mag:
“I remember when they eventually showed me the script, I had a lot of concerns about the narrative. There was actually a voice-over in the original script, and I felt it was telling the audience things that could easily be discovered in the context of the scenes.”
For Ford, the voice-over in Blade Runner was a delicate subject. Vice quoted a statement made by the Raiders of the Lost Ark actor:
“When we started shooting it had been tacitly agreed that the version of the film that we had agreed upon was the version without voice-over narration. It was a f***ing nightmare. I thought that the film had worked without the narration. But now I was stuck re-creating that narration. And I was obliged to do the voice-overs for people that did not represent the director’s interests.”
Also, he believed that his character in the movie suffered from narrative issues as well. Ford played Rick Deckard, a detective in the film Blade Runner. But after reading the script, he did not think his character lived up to the expectations of the role. He once shared with Vanity Fair:
“I played a detective who did not have any detecting to do. In terms of how I related to the material, I found it very difficult. There was stuff that was going on that was really nuts.”
Later, Blade Runner developed a cult following and is now regarded as one of the best science fiction movies ever made. IA sequel, titled Blade Runner 2049, was released in 2017.
Blade Runner 2049 is streaming on Max and Blade Runner is available to rent on Amazon Video.
Source- IMDb; Empire; LA Mag; Vice ;Vanity Fair
