Production company behind Book Of Eli acquires rights to make prequels and sequels to the 1982 Ridley Scott classic
The original was, of course, adapted from the book Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep? by Philip K Dick. The irony is that while it is now generally regarded as a classic, it was a massive box office flop at the time. Will the reputation it has built up in the meantime equate to a franchise that toady’s audience’s would get excited about? Or would Alcon be forced to reimagine the dour, atmospheric, multi-layered original as a Michael Bay-style blockbuster to get bums on seats? While the idea of Blade Runner sequels sounds exciting, there is the danger that the only way to make them work financially is to make film is to make them significantly different to the original that hardcore fans adore.
Alcon co-chief executive officers Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove say, “We are honoured and excited. This is a major acquisition for our company, and a personal favourite film for both of us. We recognise the responsibility we have to do justice to the memory of the original with any prequel or sequel we produce. We have long-term goals for the franchise, and are exploring multi-platform concepts, not just limiting ourselves to one medium only.” We wish them luck. For our sakes.
