Licensed Blade Runner & The Expanse prop replicas

[ghostryder]

Alcon Entertainment Pacts With Striker For ‘Blade Runner,’ ‘The Expanse’ Consumer Products Push

Alcon Entertainment has hired Striker Entertainment to license consumer products for the Blade Runner franchise and series The Expanse.

deadline.com

 

[userd1402]

"For Blade Runner, Striker will oversee multiple categories for the franchise including fashion partnerships, collectables, board games, action figures, paper goods, apparel, accessories and prop replicas curating a roster of licensees, said Alcon co-founders and CEOs Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove."

Oh dear. I may be in the minority here but I wish they would bury these merchandising licences and never do any more Blade Runner related marketing. For me it spoils the ambiguity in the story and cheapens the original when you add unnecassary 'backstory' or further development of the characters for commercial gain and to then market Blade Runner fashion accessories and apparel based on a cartoon series is just the worst kind of cynical cashing-in on the name. I certainly won't be watching any anime series related to BR. For me Blade Runner is a single story movie, not part of a 'franchise' and certainly not something that needs any further development or marketing. They should leave it alone now.

 

[joberg]

I'm with you userd1402...again, someone is seeing Blade Runner as a "Universe" to be used and abused (money) with backstories and the likes.
If you want me to be interested in a series, then you'll have to re-create the original sets on Warner's backlot, using the same look/designs and hire different Directors to shoot one episode per week

 

[EKF5]

userd1402 & joberg, you both have a point. Unfortunately, there is a virtual certainty that Alcon Entertainment has done a comprehensive market analysis that told them "there's gold in them there hills." So while we may prefer a clear effort to preserve the approach, themes, and aesthetic of the film(s), we'll get what the IP owners choose to produce. We'll be left with the standard consumer choice, watch/don't watch - buy/don't buy. And there's always the chance we'll like what they do. Here's hoping for that.

 

[ghostryder]

What did you all think of Black Out?

 

[joberg]

^^
I think that Villeneuve wanted to direct the BR World toward an Anime kind of feel/look. The Anime "model" is certainly easy to do in that it takes the Cyberpunk design and "simplifies'' it (I'm talking in terms of drawing and making a cartoon also). Villeneuve achieved it with minimal decors (spartan in my opinion) and using Brutal Architecture to put the cherry on the cake in terms of clean, sharp lines.
Not so Ridley's view and to a certain extend Syd Mead's. Very convoluted busy sets full of things cramming every inches of the screen. Apart from Tyrell's main room(respecting the Third Reich kind of design) there's no room for empty spaces.
Everything is re-used, recycled, collected and displayed

 

[centech]

I get what you guys are saying.. but I'm guardedly optimistic about actually being able to buy new BR stuff. Also, there's an important part of the announcement that you didn't quote : "with a focus on upcoming animated series Blade Runner: Black Lotus". Sounds like they aren't looking to retcon and add stuff to classic BR. If churning out action figures from the anime raises interest in BR and leads to more BR-esque stuff, I'm good with it.

 

[Pyramidrep]

I saw the announcement on Facebook during the week. I am not surprised but my reaction is the same usered1402 and joberg‘s. All I can say is that I wish they would leave it alone.
I mean how many hardcore blade runner fans are there worldwide. 5000 -10,000( I‘ve no idea really),but I gather it is a tiny fraction of Star Wars, Marvel Universe franchises. Most Blade Runner fans are not kids looking to play board games or action figures of our favourite movie ( or am I out of sync.).
I gather that since Blade Runner is 40 years old next year, this is the start of a tacky cash in by the Studio.

 

[mode1charlie]

I'm in the "anime? no thanks" and "no cheap tchotskis" and "no more sequels" camp. The first movie is a masterpiece, the second is good, but at this point the story is done. It's been told. Leave it alone.

 

[CessnaDriver]

I won’t let them kill the magic for me. I will never watch 2049. And I’m interested in very few products now.

 

[Mottrex]

I won’t let them kill the magic for me. I will never watch 2049. And I’m interested in very few products now.

Oh your missing a hell of a movie then, its kind, respectful and the visuals are breathtaking..
You need a decent Audio system, we have Dolby Atmos and the soundtracks Amazing.
I wasn't going to watch it but I did to the cinema and felt like I'd ride the best theme park rides..

 

[CessnaDriver]

Oh your missing a hell of a movie then, its kind, respectful and the visuals are breathtaking..
You need a decent Audio system, we have Dolby Atmos and the soundtracks Amazing.
I wasn't going to watch it but I did to the cinema and felt like I'd ride the best theme park rides..

If they used other characters maybe, For me, it can’t work. My strong opinion is we are not to know their fates ar the end of the film, film noir. There the question never answered is the “sequel” that never ends. Anything more destroys the first film for me. I never wanted a direct sequel. Revisit that universe sure, directly those characters? Not for me. I must reject that.

 

[Mottrex]

If they used other characters maybe, For me, it can’t work. My strong opinion is we are not to know their fates ar the end of the film, film noir. There the question never answered is the “sequel” that never ends. Anything more destroys the first film for me. I never wanted a direct sequel. Revisit that universe sure, directly those characters? Not for me. I must reject that.

Without spoiling it.. its a Story set in that BR universe but with different characters on a different journey. They do stumble across familiar characters but it's definitely the new characters story..
I actually thought they didn't need the OG characters it was more paying fans lip service?

 

[CessnaDriver]

Without spoiling it.. its a Story set in that BR universe but with different characters on a different journey. They do stumble across familiar characters but it's definitely the new characters story..
I actually thought they didn't need the OG characters it was more paying fans lip service?

Which is adding even more insult to injury. Scott I think just cannot help himself returning to the past and adding unnecessary exposition that wipes out the mystery, as with ALIEN. And I love most of his work,

 

[MattgomeryBurns]

Unpopular RPF opinion: 2049 is better than the original

 

[Apollo]

I won’t let them kill the magic for me. I will never watch 2049. And I’m interested in very few products now.

You are not alone, the Movie tanked at the Box office

 

[Mottrex]

Which is adding even more insult to injury. Scott I think just cannot help himself returning to the past and adding unnecessary exposition that wipes out the mystery, as with ALIEN. And I love most of his work,

Scott was too busy thinking up more ways to dilute the Alien Franchise so Denis Villeneuve stepped in and visually its quite beautiful..
Alien certainly stopped with Alien for me.. The rest were at best like ok theme park attractions..

 

[CessnaDriver]

Scott was too busy thinking up more ways to dilute the Alien Franchise so Denis Villeneuve stepped in and visually its quite beautiful..
Alien certainly stopped with Alien for me.. The rest were at best like ok theme park attractions..

Oh I know he didn't direct but his fingerprints are all over it similar to ALIEN recent sequels even if uncrediited. I know it's story enough. Not saying it isn't anything less than admirers say it is for them or that people working on it didn't put in their best or were passionate about it.