One of the first places CinemaBlend visited after touching down in San Diego for the annual Comic-Con convention was... Los Angeles? That sounds weird, but it's only because Warner Bros. set up a replication (not a replicant, mind you) of downtown Los Angeles, circa 2049, in promotion of the upcoming sci-fi sequel Blade Runner 2049. And the future, very much like the world presented in Sir Ridley Scott's original Blade Runner movie, is grim.
The Blade Runner 2049 Experience exists under a giant dome that has been set up in downtown San Diego, minutes from the Convention Center. The experience features more than 50 props from the actual film, as well as costumes that were worn by stars Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford and more. The exhibit begins with a virtual reality ride that puts you in the cockpit of an LAPD flying car as you chase a suspect through L.A. The ride is impressive, plunging you into the world of Blade Runner, but it pales in comparison to what comes next.
When the VR ride is over, you remove your goggles and you are IN the world of Blade Runner. Warner Bros. hired actors to stay in character as they follow you through a recreation of Los Angeles in the future. Cops ask you questions, and if they think you might be a replicant, they scan you. There's a set up of the bar Rick Deckard drank from in the original Blade Runner...
Which means I had to do my best Harrison Ford impersonation.
But basically, you can live in the world of Blade Runner for as long as you wanted to, with real characters participating in the immersion to help bring the Experience to life. During the media preview, drinks served by the sponsor, Johnnie Walker, flowed... but I'm certain there will be food and drinks as part of the Experience all weekend long. WB estimates that 952 pounds of udon noodles will be consumed by visitors to the experience, where they also will participate in contests and giveaways for true Blade Runner fans.
Blade Runner 2049 is expected to be part of Warner Bros.' Hall H presentation on Saturday, so you can shift off of the most recent trailer and discuss whatever new news comes out of that panel. The movie, a sequel to Ridley Scott's masterpiece, will be directed by the equally brilliant Denis Villeneueve. It stars Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Robin Wright, Dave Bautista and Jared Leto, and it opens in theaters on October 6.
