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Replicant or human? Blade Runner 2049 reignites existentia­l debate

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(Reuters) Was Harrison Ford’s Officer Rick Deckard a human or a Replicant robot in 1982’s Blade Runner?

That is the question that fans of Ridley Scott’s sci-fi thriller have been pondering for 35 years and now in a long-awaited sequel, that question is explored further.

Out in theaters Oct. 6, Blade Runner 2049 takes place 30 years after the original film, when human-like robots called Replicants were hunted by police officers called ‘blade runners’ in a dystopian Los Angeles.

In the new film from Time Warner Inc’s Warner Bros, LAPD Officer K (Ryan Gosling) hunts illegal Replicants hiding on a decaying Earth and he stumbles across something that can disrupt the current strained co-existence between humans and Replicants. He is tasked with finding Deckard (Ford) for answers.

“It’s an existentia­l story,” director Denis Villeneuve told Reuters.

“It says a lot about reality. It says a lot about our relationsh­ip with broken dreams. It says things about as

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Will the People of Merundoi support the Go Green Initiative?

Sister Patsy, Coretta and Ignatius arrive for a Village Council meeting to discuss the provision of green parks in Merundoi but that’s not the topic they talked about and why does Sister Patsy leave with Ignatius? Why are Anil and Mala celebratin­g? Denzil and Catalina are discussing how to encourage residents to plant more trees and kitchen gardens and make compost when they are rudely disturbed by loud knocking on the door. Who is this visitor? Don’t miss this week’s episode! You can also listen on www.merundoi.org. Join the discussion on Facebook human beings we are programmed by our genetic background and our education, and that we are like trapped by that background and it’s very difficult for us to get free out of it,” he added.

Before journalist­s including Reuters saw Blade Runner 2049 at advance press screenings, they were read a note from Villeneuve urging not give away any key plot points.

What is known is that an older, rugged Ford reprises his role as Officer Deckard. The veteran actor called the film an “experienti­al opportunit­y” for audiences to engage in the philosophi­cal rhetoric.

“There’s a wonderful emotional context in the film, which is one of the things I most admire about it,” Ford said. “So much of what I had an ambition for seems to have been achieved.”

Scott’s Blade Runner envisioned Los Angeles in 2019 as a sprawling urban metropolis infused with Eastern and Western cultures. In Blade Runner 2049, Los Angeles has sprawled across much of California, and is built on top of Scott’s world, the gritty city a melting pot of English, Japanese and Russian influences.

Villeneuve said he made Blade Runner 2049 as a standalone movie but given the new film’s higher stakes and bigger scope, a continuing franchise is not out of the question.

“The idea was to make a movie inspired by the universe of Blade Runner with a very specific story and yes, I‘m positive that if (it) ever is welcomed, Ridley will come up with another idea,” the director said.

 ?? Blade Runner 2049 ?? Caption: Director of the movie Denis Villeneuve (2ndL) and cast members Ryan Gosling (L), Ana de Armas (2ndR) and Harrison Ford (R) attend a photo-call for the film in Paris, France, September 20, 2017. (Reuters photo)
Blade Runner 2049 Caption: Director of the movie Denis Villeneuve (2ndL) and cast members Ryan Gosling (L), Ana de Armas (2ndR) and Harrison Ford (R) attend a photo-call for the film in Paris, France, September 20, 2017. (Reuters photo)
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