Villeneuve said that filming wrapped in November and that the movie is now in the middle of editing. He said that they were “aiming for an R-rating” for 2049, like the original film. It’s a risky move to go for an R-rating with such a big budget, as Villeneuve is constantly reminded: “My producers are finding it fun to remind me that it will be one of the most expensive R-rated independent feature films ever made,” he said.
For anybody worried about the movie losing the tactile feel of the original, Villeneuve said:
I can count on my fingers the amount of times we put a green screen on set. Most of the movie was done on camera, me and [cinematographer] Roger Deakins worked very hard to do it that way. My actors were not walking on green screens all day long. CGI is a strong tool for backgrounds and extensions but what is around the actors needs to be as real as possible. When I watch a movie that’s mostly CGI, I’m disengaged.
Villeneuve also teased that we could be seeing more Blade Runner if 2049 does well. “I’m doomed, I love sci-fi,” he said. “I have two more ideas now that I would love to do. [And] Blade Runner could go on … we’ll see how this one goes.” Blade Runner 2049 comes out on Oct. 6, 2017. Watch the first teaser for the film here.