Ryan Gosling ‘completely overwhelmed’ by Blade Runner 2049

IT’S the sequel we’ve all been waiting for and it looks more amazing than we could have imagined. Even Ryan Gosling was blown away.

SCI-FI fans are frothing today. The much-awaited trailer for Blade Runner 2049 has been released.

Stars Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford watched it for the first time along with news.com.au at an IMAX theatre in Los Angeles.

Gosling was as excited to see the footage as any sci-fi nerd. This was his first time on a movie that called for a set of this calibre.

“I’ve never seen sets like it. It was very impressive and overwhelming. I think the trick for me was to not be impressed on camera, because it was supposed to be my everyday reality.” He laughs.

“But of course it never worked and I swayed on that scale. It really was completely overwhelming.”

As for the original Blade Runner, directed by Ridley Scott and released in 1982, he says, “I was just really struck by how influential it had been on everything that I’d seen up until that point. It was one of the first films where it wasn’t clear how I was supposed to feel when it was over.

“It made me question what it meant to be a human being. It made me question my ability to recognise the hero from the villain in a story.”

Blade Runner is widely considered to be one of the most iconic sci-fi films of all time. Based on a Philip K. Dick book about a dystopian Los Angeles in which LAPD blade runner, Rick Deckard (Ford), was tracking down the replicants (androids) who were trying to pass themselves off as humans.

“It was this nightmarish vision of the future that was presented in this romantic, dreamlike way, so it was very haunting. It was the first film where I really wondered what happened to that world and those characters when it was over. So for me, this was an opportunity to really physically enter that world, be a part of it and learn and question. It was a wonderful opportunity,” Gosling says.

Ryan Gosling in a scene from ‘Blade Runner 2049’. Picture: Facebook

The sequel picks up 30 years later, and LAPD Officer K (Gosling) discovers a long-buried secret that has the potential to drive society into chaos. Through his search, he finds Deckard, who’s been missing for 30 years.

Ford has redeemed many characters in his career, notably Indiana Jones, and Han Solo from Star Wars. He talks about revisiting the beloved Deckard.

“I think it’s interesting to develop a character after a period of time, to revisit a character, and it was a very interesting experience working with Ryan,” he says. “I had a really good time.”

Harrison Ford in a scene from the original 1982 Blade Runner film.

With his characteristic droll sense of humour, he offers, “The first time I walked on the set it was the day before I was supposed to work. It was a very elaborate set, a very sophisticated set, and it was raining, which made me feel welcome.

“Ryan was working with a naked woman, and that made me feel sad.” He chuckles. “But she was a holographic projection, which made me happy again.” His smile reappears. “So it was really cool. I felt excited and happy to be involved in this project.”

Watching Ford and Gosling together, it seems they forged a genuine chemistry. Ford says, “It was a real pleasure working with him. And I thought … wait for it … he has an original intelligence, and an emotional intelligence, he brought to the part.”

Gosling seemed relieved that Ford was easygoing. “He just rolled up his sleeves and got right to work. On the first day the cast sat around at a table, and we were happy he had arrived. He was a wonderful partner.”

It’s hard to believe that the original film was set in a futuristic 2019. In many respects, time has caught up with the movie.

Ford says, “It’s fascinating that the original film postulated a technology in which, in many ways, we surpassed, and in other ways, we are not quite there. It also shows us there’s no such thing as a free lunch. We are really talking about both the benefit of technology and the social consequences of it.”

Gosling nods. “Yes, absolutely it’s amazing that time has caught up. Although we haven’t worked out the flying car thing yet, so that is disappointing,” he says. “But it taught me to be nicer to electronics.”

Bring. It. On. Picture: Facebook

Originally published as Ryan Gosling ‘completely overwhelmed’ by Blade Runner 2049