Moon Man Jones Planning the Berlin Blade Runner

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In a rather spoiler-heavy interview with Popular Mechanics, Duncan Jones not only digs deep into his upcoming debut movie, Moon, but reveals his ambitions for the follow up.

“It looks like,” he says, “I’m going to be doing another science fiction film next.” Furthermore - he tantalizingly suggests that he intends to pick up where Blade Runner left off. Full quote after the break.

I love Blade Runner, it’s one of my favorite films, and I’ve always been really… depressed that there was never—not a sequel, because I don’t think it’s right to make a sequel about Blade Runner, but no one’s really tried to make a film which was set in the same kind of world or had that same kind of field. So that’s what I’m doing, a big-city mystery story that takes place in a future Berlin.

What is it with the Jones family men and Berlin, eh? Anyway, I beg to differ - there have been several films that moved onwards and upwards from Blade Runner. Perhaps the most obvious would be Terry Gilliam’s Brazil, and you’d expect Jones to remember that one in view of the coming quote:

Ridley Scott has a copy of Moon right now, actually. I’m a little nervous. I had three people I wanted to watch it: Ridley Scott, Terry Gilliam and Neil Gaiman. Neil Gaiman and Terry Gilliam have both watched it and loved it, so now I’m just waiting for Ridley Scott, which is the big one for me. That’s the really scary one.

Perhaps he discounted Brazil because it isn’t set in ‘the future.’ Incidentally, on the DVD audio commentary track to Mirrormask, Gaiman refers to Jones as a friend (he also refers to Gilliam, which suggests something of a tight-knit group). That’s one secret decoder ring I’d wear with pride.

Popular Mechanics being what it is, they do actually speak to Jones quite a bit about the fictional tech in Moon, and the logic behind it. They also ask Jones about a screening of the film at NASA, possibly some of the harshest critics the film could face. Rather good reading - if you aren’t scared of finding out some key plot points ahead of the film’s release.

  • I heard somewhere that other future movies based on PK Dick books (Total Recall or Minority Report) can be considered part of the same movieverse that Blade Runner...
  • GregoryV
    All those films have that "cyberpunk" genre. High technology, dirty future.
  • you almost gave me a heart attack-- i thought this was going to say there'll be a Blade Runner remake. Whew. Moon does look amazing, so maybe he would be good with another fantastic sci-fi follow up to Blade Runner.
  • hmm
    Did anyone know that Duncan Jones was David Bowie's son? I didn't know until I went to his imdb page. I'm surprised that none of the film outlets I read have even mentioned this. I suppose talent runs in the family.
  • That's what my joke about Berlin was referring to.
  • I'm beginning to think that Duncan Jones is a director to be looking out for in the future. I have yet to see Moon though, but it looks amazing.
  • I can't wait to see Moon!
  • "That’s one secret decoder ring I’d wear with pride." Oh my God yes! As far as doing something in the Blade Runner vein, I hope that he does. It would be a bad idea however to openly say that it was set within the same world. He should just do a (faithful) adaptation of one of Asimov's, Robot novels. Or even another Philip K. Dick novel (Dr. Blood Money?). There's plenty of source material to choose from, and I just don't think we need another movie that's directly connected to Blade Runner.
  • i'd discount brazil because...well because it's completely different in every way imaginable
  • Was definitely and specifically intended to "answer" some elements of Blade Runner.
  • bug
    Maybe an answer but definitely not set in the same or even similar world. Completely different mood and basic idea. And a Terry Gilliam film can not pretend to be anything else than a Terry Gilliam film.
  • I wouldn't mind seeing something connected to blade runner but before we anoint this guy can we see Moon first? then we decide.
  • freemachine
    Some people consider "Soldier" (1998) starring Kurt Russell to be part of the "Blade Runner" universe. The screenplay for both movies was written by David Webb Peoples. In "Soldier" you actually witness battles in some of the off-world colonies mentioned by Rutger Hauer in "Blade Runner".
  • freemachine
    Some people consider "Soldier" (1998) starring Kurt Russell to be part of the "Blade Runner" universe. The screenplay for both movies was written by David Webb Peoples. In "Soldier" you actually witness battles on some of the off-world colonies mentioned by Rutger Hauer in "Blade Runner".
  • iuno if i'd go with brazil being quite the same and bladerunner or vice versa. unless their similarity is being incredible science fiction films.

    and i'm sure ridley scott will like moon, seeing the trailer for it i got huge alien vibes that made me giddy as hell.
  • edc
    I thought you meant henry and junior.
  • edc
    I would've loved a gaff hbo series.
    him skirting around the legal red tape, shooting a pimp and planting evidence on a drug dealer, him letting certain people go to make a better life.
  • Must be nice being a big name in the industry, getting to watch Moon earlier than most. Makes me wish I was a big name or attended the Sundance screening.
  • Weyland_Yutani
    It sort-of sounds like he's mentioning Blade Runner as an inspiration, in which case, he would be in pretty thick company. The film has inspired a lot of books and film. It's not really surprising for anyone intending to do anything remotely future-noir (or dealing with the implications of self-aware A.I. in a cyberpunk environment. I hope he achieves his vision.

    I hope he's checking out Alastair Reynolds' Chasm City, Jefferey Sommers' Electric Church, or a few of the other great cyberpunks from the '80s (most notably, Walter Jon Williams' Hardwired and George Alec Effinger's When Gravity Fails). If he's properly inspired beyond just the Blade Runner film, he will have a great chance to create something original and successful.

    I hope he inspires Ridley Scott in the process.

    Moon looks great. Can't wait for it.
  • Excuse me, but how the heck is Brazil anything like Blade Runner?! If you want a better example of something closer to Blade Runner, then I suggest you check out Total Recall 2070: http://www.hulu.com/total-recall-2070
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