October 24, 2007 In honor of its 25th anniversary, Ridley Scotts science fiction masterpiece, Blade Runner, starring Harrison Ford, is making a long-awaited return to the big screen with a completely re-mastered directors cut, Blade Runner: The Final Cut. The film has not only been completely restored with new and improved special effects, but also includes never-before-seen added and extended scenes that Ridley Scott created specifically for the new edition.
The limited theatrical engagement of Blade Runner: The Final Cut began its run on October 5 in New York and Los Angeles. It will continue to roll out in select cities from now through January 2008. Spectacularly restored and re-mastered from original elements and scanned at 4K* resolution, fans of the original Blade Runner will have a chance to see this sci-fi classic as it has never been seen before, while a new generation of moviegoers will have their first opportunity to see why Blade Runner is still considered to be, by both critics and fans, one of the most important genre films of the 20th century.
Visually spectacular, action-packed and enduringly provocative since its original 1982 release, the stylish noir thriller Blade Runner: The Final Cut stars Harrison Ford in the enigmatic role of 21st-century detective Rick Deckard. As he hunts for vengeful, fugitive replicants in a high-tech future soured by urban and social decay, he is drawn to a mysterious woman (Sean Young) whose secrets may undermine his own soul.
The theatrical release of Blade Runner: The Final Cut is in conjunction with the much-anticipated December 18 debut of the film on DVD in three different editions, all with upgraded 5.1 audio: a two-disc Special Edition; a four-disc Collectors Edition; and the five-disc Ultimate Collectors Edition in numbered, limited quantity Deckard Briefcase packaging. Each edition contains exciting, exclusive extras to enhance the Blade Runner experience, including a new, extensive documentary featuring never-before-seen material, behind-the-scenes footage, and cast and crew interviews, plus filmmaker commentaries, and much more. Simultaneous HD DVD and Blu-Ray versions will be released in two stunning configurations: a five-disc Blade Runner Ultimate Collectors Edition and a five-disc Complete Collectors Edition. The Ultimate Collectors Edition will be released in numbered, limited quantities of the Deckard Briefcase. The Blade Runner Complete Collectors Edition will contain all of the Ultimate Collectors Edition content but will not include the limited edition briefcase.
Blade Runner: The Final Cut had its World Premiere at the Venice International Film Festival during a special screening with Ridley Scott and key cast members in attendance. And, the Film Society of Lincoln Center presented a special retrospective of Blade Runner: The Final Cut at the 45th New York Film Festival.
Cast and filmmakers will attend a special Los Angeles red carpet screening of Blade Runner: The Final Cut, which has been set for December 9 at 5 p.m. at the Shrine auditorium as part of the prestigious Jules Verne Adventure Film Festival. This year, the Festival honors Sir Ridley Scott and his team with a Special Award for their spectacular restoration of the film. Seating is limited with tickets available at www.jvaff.org or ticketmaster.com.
Based on the acclaimed science fiction novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, by the celebrated author Philip K. Dick, Blade Runner: The Final Cut was directed by Ridley Scott from a screenplay by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples. The producers are Michael Deeley and Charles de Lauzirika. The film stars Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, Edward James Olmos, Daryl Hannah, M. Emmet Walsh, William Sanderson and Joanna Cassidy. Blade Runner: The Final Cut has been rated R by the MPAA for violence and brief nudity.
Blade Runner was nominated for two Oscars: Art Direction-Set Decoration to Lawrence G. Paul, David Snyder, and Linda DeScenna; and Visual Effects to Douglas Trumbull, Richard Yuricich, and David Dryer.
Rather shockingly, the Art Direction went to Attenborough’s pedestrian-looking biopicture “Gandhi” (a result of the block vote/), and the Visual Effects Oscar to Spielberg’s “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.”
