20 Things You Didn't Know About Blade Runner 2049

On 6 October 2017, a rare thing happened: a science-fiction sequel was released that not only wasn't bad, but was superb.

Brave is the person who attempts a follow-up to one of the most successful, respected and dissected sci-fi movies ever made. Reuniting original screen writer Hampton Fancher and star Harrison Ford, 2049 takes the themes and locales of Blade Runner and instead of answering 30 year old fan theories, deftly and delicately expands the universe.

Officer K (Ryan Gosling) is a new kind of Blade Runner - a Replicant hunting Replicants. Tasked with locating and 'retiring' the Nexus 8 models, K begins to suspect that his implanted memories may actually be real. The discovery of a human to Replicant reproduction could potentially change the future of humanity - could he be the very child that he is sent to kill?

2049 is a visual and philosophical trip, every bit as intriguing and immersive as the 1982 original. The film is teeming with Easter Eggs, callbacks, expanded themes and existential questions, here are 20 of the best, things you might not have known about the most daring of sequels - Blade Runner 2049.

Blade Runner 2049 has added itself to the list of movies David Bowie almost featured in, along with Lord Of The Rings (his Elrond would've been awesome), Watchmen (can you picture Bowie emptying a deep fat frier on anyone?), A View To A Kill (his Max Zorin might've out weirded Walken's) and a Joker rumour (use your imagination), The Thin White Duke was in high demand.

Director Denis Villeneuve had sought him for Niander Wallace, industrialist and God-wannabe, before his death in 2016, saying to Metro in 2017:

"Our first thought [for Wallace] had been David Bowie, who had influenced Blade Runner in many ways... when we learned the sad news, we looked around for someone like that."

Jared Leto was ultimately cast but Bowie's Wallace? That might have really been something.