Denis Villeneuve’s First Cut of ‘Blade Runner 2049’ Was 4 Hours Long

Director Denis Villeneuve is a man in demand these days. Despite the commercial failure of his most recent film, Blade Runner 2049, everyone agreed it was a gorgeous piece of work, if a little too long. Well, it could've been even longer, and at one point in its evolution, it was much longer than the 164 minute cut that was released theatrically. Like, an hour and fifteen minutes longer. 

In a new interview with Screen Crush, Villeneuve said that his first real cut of the film was four hours, and he considered approaching Warner Brothers with the possibility of releasing it as two films...

"The thing is, it’s true that the first cut was four hours and at one point we were like, “Okay, do we go to the producer and release it in two?” But let’s say the idea of the movie being in two parts didn’t get out of the editing room. [Laughs] No, the best incarnation of the movie is what is in the theater. What was striking is that the four-hour cut was quite strong. But personally I prefer the one that is in the theater because it’s more elegant, I would say. But there are some scenes that were like [makes boosh sound]. Quite strong."

He soon realized that this lengthy cut was self-indulgent, but this is the Blade Runner franchise, where five different cuts of the film have been released over the years. It's not outside the realm of possibility we get to see that cut some day, especially considering how many ardent fans the film and the franchise has. 

Villeneuve also revealed that he had to turn down the chance to direct the next Bond movie because he had already committed to Dune. This means he might return to the franchise some day down the road, which is a pretty exciting prospect, all things considered. Blade Runner 2049, which is sure to finally win cinematographer Roger Deakins his long overdue Oscar, hits Blu-ray two weeks from today. Do you want to see the four hour cut down the road somewhere? Sound off in the comments section below!