20 Things You Didn't Know About Blade Runner

7. It Was One Of The Earliest Examples Of A Director's Cut...

Blade Runner DIrector's Cut
Warner Bros.

After the studios' wrestling of creative control from Ridley Scott and the film's initial lukewarm response, Blade Runner languished until 1989, when sound preservationist Michael Arick stumbled upon Ridley Scott's original 70mm workprint, long thought to be lost. This print was screened at a classic film festival later that year, though as no one had actually watched it yet, audiences were surprised to find that it was an entirely different version to Blade Runner's theatrical release.

Further screenings were ordered, resulting in sell outs and a much more enthusiastic response to the film than its initial release in 1982. This led Warner Bros. to have the film screened at cinemas in 15 different US cities, now advertised as the Director's Cut.

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A self-taught video editor with nearly 25 years of experience, Joe worked in freelance videography for many years before joining WhatCulture in 2018. During that time, he has expanded his work to include both writing and presenting, and has been at the forefront of several new channel launches including WhatCulture Horror and WhatCulture Star Wars, largely defining their visual identity through the design and curation of their bespoke assets. As a dedicated WhatCulture Gaming staff member, he has spearheaded numerous new content strategies and formats, and has taken the lead on various charitable projects that have raised large sums of money for charities close to his heart. Bluesky and Instagram: @jjpinwheel