Blade Runner 2049 tracking for strong debut
The long-awaited Blade Runner sequel is projected to perform well in its opening weekend. According to early prerelease surveys via The Hollywood Reporter, Blade Runner 2049 is tracking to open to $40 million or more in North America.
The production is believed to have cost at least $100 million and has Harrison Ford returning and Ryan Gosling alongside him in the cast. Director Denis Villeneuve’s last film, Arrival, opened to $24 million at the domestic box office. And the French filmmaker recently revealed that Jared Leto blinded himself for his role in Blade Runner 2049 with a pair of special, opaque contact lenses:
“We all heard stories about Jared, how he transforms into the characters, but even this didn’t prepare me for what was to come. He entered the room, and he could not see at all. He was walking with an assistant, very slowly. It was like seeing Jesus walking into a temple. Everybody became super silent, and there was a kind of sacred moment. Everyone was in awe. It was so beautiful and powerful – I was moved to tears. And that was just a camera test!” Villeneuve told The Wall Street Journal.
Blade Runner 2049 opens on October 6th.