The influence of Blade Runner is obvious in so many movies, visually it was a stunning movie, very cutting edge, and still cutting edge three decades later. Ridley Scott gave the world an amazing vision of the future, with the help of a group of very talented artists (including Douglas Trumbull), and the late cinematographer Jordan Cronenweth.
Denis Villeneuve, the director of Prisoners, will helm the next Blade Runner film, which is going into production next year, and he’s got Roger Deakins as his cinematographer. Deakins is the master lensman who shot The Shawshank Redemption, Fargo, The Big Lebowski, and many other incredible films.
In addition to Blade Runner, Cronenweth was also was the cinematographer on Altered States, the Talking Heads concert film Stop Making Sense, as well as the color footage in U2’s Rattle and Hum. (His son Jeff Cronenweth is a fine cinematographer in his own right, shooting Fight Club, The Social Network, and Gone Girl, among other movies.)
If there’s anyone more than capable of taking over the incredible cinematography of Blade Runner, it’s definitely Deakins, absolutely one of the best lensman we have. Blade Runner was so much Ridley Scott’s vision, it will be hard to imagine another director taking it on, although we certainly wouldn’t be surprised if Scott SOMETHING behind the scenes. Still, getting Deakins to frame the future with his incredible camerawork is a big step in the right direction.
