Denis Villeneuve Defends ‘Blade Runner 2049’ Running Time, Ridley Scott Says He’d Cut 30 Minutes

Ridley Scott has been wrapping up the year giving good interview for “All The Money In The World.” The 80 year-old filmmaker simply DGAF and has had no problem getting very real about no shortage of topics. That includes “Blade Runner 2049,” Denis Villeneuve‘s sequel to Scott’s sci-fi classic. The filmmaker has made it plainly clear he thought the film was “too fucking long,” and in fact, he makes it clear he’d toss a chunk of it out the window.

“It’s slow. It’s slow. Long. Too long. I would have taken out half an hour,” Scott told Al Arabiya. He hasn’t been alone in the criticism of the running time for “Blade Runner 2049,” with Michael Deeley, the producer of the original “Blade Runner,” opining that the 2 hour and 44 minute length was “self-indulgent at the very least, arrogant probably and “criminal.”

The film’s length has been part of a larger conversation about its underwhelming box office ($258 million worldwide, from $150 million budget not including marketing). Villeneuve has been somewhat mystified that the strong reviews for “Blade Runner 2049″ didn’t translate to ticket sales, but he stands by the running time for his film, and says he had the support of the producers as well.

“There was a first version that was more substantial but after it came down to that length it was obvious what needed to be done. Then we were just removing little bits, trying to refine the cut, but it always stayed that length,” he told Screen Daily. “The producers were afraid I would cut too much and they told me not to focus on the running time. They didn’t want me to feel any pressure and wanted me to make the movie I needed to make. They didn’t compromise that. Alcon are the real deal. They are movie-lovers.”

In short, Villeneuve made the movie he wanted to without having to compromise his vision. That’s a victory in a climate of carefully managed blockbusters, but if it doesn’t convert to big box office, it doesn’t give movie studio executives an incentive to continue giving filmmakers creative carte blanche.