Los Angeles, 2019 © 1997 Nicklas Ingels

Video Business magazines along with other magazines has started to report that
“Those pesky legal clearances will delay Warner’s planned 20th anniversary DVD release of Blade Runner until at least the film’s 21st anniversary in 2003”
I guess most of us have nothing against having to wait until 2003 for the DVD IF the reason for the delay was production stuff, but “pesky legal clearances”.. This is really sad news

Source: The alt.fan.blade-runner newsgroup

Swedish tv channel TV4 had an interview with the man himself, Ridley Scott in their movie show “Bionytt” in February. I “managed” to miss the show (even on the re-run) but Niklas Hermansson from the alt.fan.blade-runner newsgroup was kind enough to pass the information onto the newsgroup.
In the interview, Ridley Scott briefly talked about the upcomming “Special Edition” and what we can expect, this is what they are planning.

• 3 Discs

The 3 discs would include the most known versions of the movie, these are.

• Workprint
• 1982 “Theatrical” release
• The old “Directors Cut”
• A new re-cut, final “Directors Cut”

In the interview, Ridley also says that we also can expect interviews and artwork. The specifications are not yet final, but I think that we also can expect a direcors commentary track.

Source: The alt.fan.blade-runner newsgroup The alt.fan.blade-runner newsgroup homepage.

Video Premieres Magazine has an interesting Q&A with “Special Edition DVD” producer Charles de Lauzirika. In the Q&A they talk about many interesting things about producing & creating a DVD.
They also talk about the Special Edition of Blade Runner which is due to hopefully be released this year, This is what they we get to know about the Blade Runner “Special Edition” release…
Lauzirika also says that there is enough material to (hold on to your seats..) fill five discs. There is tons of stuff that has been found in a storage facility in Burbank.

“We got there to check it out, and we found out that all these boxes it was like the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark with all the crates and stuff had been marked for junk back in 1988. So this stuff had basically been on death row for 13 years.
At any point, in the past 13 years, that stuff by all rights should have been thrown away, and it wasn’t. To me, that was such a stunning realization, that we could have lost all this precious negative footage and original camera negatives. Someone at the storage facility just didn’t get it thrown away. God bless them.”

On the question about an release date and if he has a deadline when the production must be complete or if he can make it a labor of love and hand it over to Warner Bros. when he feels that he is done, this is what Lauzirika says:

“It’s going to be a long, slow boil on this one. My personal goal is to make it right. However long it takes, so be it. But I realize that the studio has its timeline, which it is still trying to figure out. I know the fans want it yesterday, so there are a lot of different factors to juggle.”
“It’s a little of both on this one. When we first started talking about it I think it was two years ago originally it was going to come out in 2001. Then we were thinking, well, the 20th anniversary is coming up, so maybe that’s a good time to do it.”
“And there were some rights issues with the partnership that owns the rights to Blade Runner. There was a lot of massaging that had to be done on the technical front, on the legal front and on the creative front.”

On the subject of adding new scenes, the “Directors Cut” and all the other versions of Blade Runner, this is what Lauzirika has to say:

“The thing is, the 1982 director’s cut is really misnamed. It’s not a true director’s cut. It was called a director’s cut because really, there was nothing else to call it at the time.”
“Ridley, although he wasn’t 100% happy with it, signed off on it because he hit most of the major fixes: removing the narration and the happy ending and including the unicorn. But it wasn’t finessed and it wasn’t exactly what he would have called a director’s cut. So now, that’s what we’re trying to do; just make that final little polish that will make him rather happy with the film.”
There will be a new and improved version of the unicorn scene, Charles de Lauzirika:
“It’s just more obviously a dream sequence. In the 1992 version, it just sort of arbitrarily dissolves in and dissolves out. There’s no reaction on Deckard’s [Harrison Ford’s] face. You know it’s a dream, but it’s not tied in. The original scene as shot and cut back in 1982 is more of a moment with Deckard at the piano. You see it on his face; he’s reacting to the dream. It’s more of a reverie he’s in.”
“The shots of the unicorn are different as well; you actually see the forest before the unicorn enters the frame. It comes out of the mist. It’s a bit more magical.”
“Contrary to a lot of fan rumor, the unicorn footage is not from Legend [the film Scott immediately shot after Blade Runner]. It was actually shot for Blade Runner back in 1982. I know because I’ve seen the camera slates on the dailies. So we can put that rumor to rest.”
“That’s just one of the restorations. There will be a couple of other fixes and continuity problems that have nagged Ridley. I really feel like every day is Christmas and I’m opening presents over there, because there is just so much material that I never knew existed. We found some screen tests the other day and Ridley lit them as though they were scenes from the movie. They’re beautiful. Those were in Warner’s vaults.”

You can read the whole Q&A session between Video Premieres Magazine and Charles de Lauzirika here. In the Q&A you can find information on more upcomming special editions, information on producing a DVD and much much more.

Source: Video Premieres Magazine.

Cool news from The Digital Bits, this is so far just a rumour, if anyone can confirm that this is true, please contact me (If you have the interview saved as mp3, please email me). The Digital Bits are one of the best sources on DVD news, their news can most times be taken as “offical” news. For those of you whom missed The Digital Bits interview with Charles de Lauzirika whom currently is working with the upcomming Special Edition of Blade Runner, You can still find the interview here
Now, this is what I found at The Digital Bits, remember, it’s so far just a rumour…
“director Ridley Scott confirmed, during an Atlanta radio interview, that the forthcoming Blade Runner: Special Edition (due late in 2002) would likely be a 3-disc affair”
I guess that this is better news that anyone could have expected, let’s just hope that it’s true. So, if anyone can confirm this new Ridley Scott interview, please contact me (If you have the interview saved as mp3, please email me).

Source: The Digital Bits

I found this in the alt.fan-blade-runner newsgroup, it originates from the website Ain’t It Cool News which usually is a good news-source. Im not sure about if this is 100% true thou, it sounds a bit “too much” for me. Check out the “aint-it-cool-news” website for and check out the complete article.
Here are some of the things that can be found in the article at “aint-it-cool-news”.
According to newspost in aint-it-cool-news, the new special edition is going to have “some” of Harrison Ford’s voice-over left, new sound design will be used for some of the cars (Spinner or ground vehicles ?) and also for some equipment. This because Ridley Scott thinks that some of the technology assumptions (i.e. hydro electric power sources) is not in tune with the reality of today – look for some “combustion” in new sounds. All the special effects will be re-matted via computer and wire removal is assumed. Some new background details (flying cars) might be added as well…
The Unicorn sequence from “The Directors Cut” will still be around, but it’s effect/placement will diffrent due to “a new scene”. The bad lip synch will be fixed and some of the scenes with stunt doubles will also be fixed.
There is a new scene that we have never had a look at. It was “lost” during the original film processing and was “re-discovered” when the archive of the original footage took place.
3 to 7 min of “original” footage will be trimmed and cut to make the edit flow better
The biggest news are the comments that Ridley Scott made often during the production review:
When looking at certain sections of the film, Ridley Scott mention that he could not “believe that they (the audience) can’t see he’s (Decker) a replicant”. This is the sub-text that he is using for the film. Deckard (in Ridley Scott’s mind) is a replicant. Ridley feels that the new shots and edit will make this issue clear to all. The projected production completion date is 5/02 – no word on re-release dates or if it’s going straight to DVD.

Source: alt.fan-blade-runner, Ain’t-it-cool-news: BLADE RUNNER THE SPECIAL EDITION!