10 Things You Never Knew About Blade Runner (1982)
From Robert Mitchum dreams to tears in the rain, the making of Ridley Scott's neo-noir is wilder than Los Angeles 2019.
An unofficial fan made map of Ridleyville, name by which the exterior sets that were built for Blade Runner (Ridley Scott, 1982) in Warner Bros. Studios (Burbank, California) are known. Filming in Rid — David Luque (mapa) / Luis Argerich (fotografÃa), CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Where to watch Blade Runner ↓Deckard Was Written for Robert Mitchum
Hampton Fancher pictured Robert Mitchum as Deckard and even shaped the dialogue for his gravelly style. The iconic lead was custom-built for a Hollywood legend who never got the call.
Roy Batty Cast Sight Unseen
Ridley Scott picked Rutger Hauer for Roy Batty without a single in-person meeting. He was convinced purely by Hauer's work in Paul Verhoeven movies.
Bradbury Building, 304 S. Broadway Downtown Los Angeles — Lo2013, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Debbie Harry's Biggest Regret
Blondie frontwoman Debbie Harry said no to playing Pris. She later called turning down Blade Runner her biggest career regret.
Hauer Wrote His Own Goodbye
The 'tears in rain' monologue wasn't just delivered by Rutger Hauer, it was rewritten by him. He handed his new version to Ridley Scott on set right before cameras rolled.
A Distraction After Tragedy
Ridley Scott came aboard on February 21, 1980, in part to cope after the recent death of his older brother. The bleak future of Blade Runner became a way to process grief.
Philip K. Dick Wanted a Fight
Author Philip K. Dick hated Robert Jaffe's early draft. He greeted the writer with 'Shall I beat you up here at the airport, or shall I beat you up back at my apartment?'
The Title Was Borrowed
The name Blade Runner wasn't from Philip K. Dick at all. Ridley Scott lifted it from a William S. Burroughs cinema treatment for a different novel and loved it.
The Money Vanished Overnight
Filmways pulled its backing just as cameras were about to roll, leaving more than $2.5 million in pre-production costs on the table. The project suddenly had no money.
A $21.5 Million Rescue in Ten Days
Producer Michael Deeley pulled off a miracle, locking $21.5 million in new financing in just ten days. The deal stitched together Warner Bros., Hong Kong producer Sir Run Run Shaw, and Tandem Productions.
Gaff Spoke Secret Cityspeak
Edward James Olmos invented a fictional Cityspeak language for Gaff, mixing diverse ethnic influences. His very first line to Deckard even sneaks in Hungarian profanities.