Yes, you read that correctly. There has, apparently, been some new filming for the twenty five year old movie.
Joanna Cassidy, on her official website, had the following posted:
Joanna has just finished re-shooting her scenes from the original BLADE RUNNER movie. Joanna is wearing her original outfit (which she kept over from the first production). These new scenes will be part of the upcoming special BLADE RUNNER DVD re-release. Check back for more details.
Joanna played a replicant named Zhora.
I must confess I am skeptical has to how they can shoot new footage when the actors are 25 years older. There is only so much make-up can do.
But, it should be very interesting to see just how different this version is. As I understand it, Ridley Scott had complete control over the entire project so this will be exactly what he wants the film to be.
Later this year, Blade Runner: The Final Cut will be released in theaters for the 25th anniversary of the original cut of the film.
They will also release a new DVD box set that feature, in addition to the Final cut, the Original U.S. Theatrical cut, the Expanded International Theatrical cut and 1992’s Director’s cut.
You know that at least one person will watch all of these versions in a row.
Ok, time to let Blade Runner go. No more versions of it.
For anyone that is not familiar with it, Blade Runner was released in 1982. It was directed by Ridley Scott (Alien, Gladiator) and was based on Phillip K. Dick’s novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?.
Deckard (Harrison Ford) is a Blade Runner, a police man of the future who hunts down and terminates replicants, artificially created humans. He wants to get out of the force, but is drawn back in when 4 “skin jobs”, a slang term for replicants, hijack a ship back to Earth. The city that Deckard must search for his prey is a huge, sprawling, bleak vision of the future. This film questions what it is to be human, and why life is so precious.
I want to thank Sean for sending me a link to Joanna’s web site, since it is not a site I normally check out.
Um NO! Didn't we learn from the Star Wars Special Edition that adding either new footage or putting digital footage into a film that is 25-30 years old doesn't work.
I was excited about the new cut of Blade Runner at first but now I'm not sure.
What the hell am I talking about I'll probably be that person that watches all 3 versions back-to-back-to-back.
Nooooooooo. Stop fooling with it. It's done. It's fine. NO!
I wish Hollywood would put half this effort into new movies.
New meaning not a television show turned into a movie with Will fucking Farrel. Not a remake of a movie that is already perfect, like Psycho or not another goddamn sequel, like Rocky Balboa.
I want new movies!
And I agree, four diferent versions of the smae fucking movie is enough! Unless Phillip Dick is writing the new scenes, leave it the hell alone.
Lance, there will be FOUR Versions for you to watch back-to-back-to-back-to-back.
My brain went numb just typing that.
Her original costume?
Okay, I'm gonna be the one to say what you guys won't admit you were all thinking: Please god, don't let her re-shoot the nude scenes! Gravity can take a great toll over 25 years.
Jon,
Your wrath should be directed at Ridley Scott, Warner Brothers is simply putting it out, they have no control in what Scott is doing with it.
P.S. Rocky Balboa was a great way to end the series and wash the awful taste of Rocky V out of our mouths.
Well . . . damn. I love Blade Runner. I can't imagine why Scott needs to do yet another version after the Director's Cut, which was just about perfect.
And forgive my ignorance, but I thought the "Director's Cut" implied that the director was now happy with the film.
Not happy about this, but I'm willing to admit that I'll probably be in line to see it on opening day.
I stumbled onto it while looking at Boston Legal stuff. I honestly did not realize it was her playing Mrs. Denny Crane.
As I recall from the "Making Of Blade Runner" book, Ridley had originally intended to do a snake charming dance scene with Zhora, starting with showing a close-up with grains of sand falling and then panning back to show the actual dance. My guess is the reshoot may have something to do with this. Of course, her body is likely not the same as it was then (although with the liberal use of botox in Hollywood…), and they might be alternating between a body double and Joanna, or perhaps even digitizing her face onto the double? I agree that it sounds rife with the opportunity to fail, but hopefully the final cut will complete Ridley's vision without being the cheese-fest that the SW additions were.