Tickets are being sold for the long-anticipated Blade Runner sequel, Blade Runner 2049, which is set to open across several markets (including the U.S.) in two weeks. Blade Runner, of course, is another big film that Harrison Ford starred in the 1980s, but unlike the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises, it didn't get an immediate sequel.
Instead, fans have been waiting patiently since the film's release in 1982 for a follow-up, and three and a half decades later, they're finally getting it from Oscar-nominated Arrival director Denis Villeneuve and producer Ridley Scott, who helmed the original. Ford is reprising his role of Blade Runner Rick Deckard for the film, but Ryan Gosling is starring in the lead as Officer K in the sequel, set more than 30 years after the original.
Related: Blade Runner 2049 Will Reveal if Deckard Is a Replicant
With the film's release a mere 14 days away, online ticket-seller Fandango got a jump Friday on the countdown hype surrounding the Blade Runner 2049, and started selling advance tickets to the film. Tickets are no doubt increasing in demand for the sci-fi sequel. Following earlier industry estimates that the film would open in the $40 million range domestically, Deadline says the film is now projected to earn anywhere between $43 million and $47 million in its first weekend. The film is also expected to open in several markets worldwide as well on Oct. 6, with the exception of Korea, Japan and following its clearance by sensors, China.
A big opening is exactly what Blade Runner 2049 needs, since the film has a reported $185 million production budget, an extraordinary amount for a film rated R (by contrast, the R-rated Mad Max: Fury Road was budgeted at $150 million). Additionally, the film will undoubtedly have fewer showings daily – since its reported run time not including credits is 2 hours and 32 minutes – meaning it will have more ground to make up.
Fandango is certainly intent on selling tickets to the film, and to entice fans, the retailer is offering the first few thousand fans who buy tickets one of the new Blade Runner 2049 figures in the Funko POP! product line, which includes Officer K, Deckard, Niander (Jared Leto ), Joi (Ana de Armas), Luv (Sylvia Hoeks) or Sapper (Dave Bautista). Also giving fans a chance to refamiliarize themselves with the original film, FandangoNOW has cut down the online rental price of Blade Runner: The Final Cut can be rented to $1.99, and $2.99 for the HD version of the classic.
