'Blade Runner 2049': Let's Talk About That Disappointing Debut — wired.com

Oof, this one is rough. Over the weekend, despite good buzz and glowing reviews from critics, Blade Runner 2049 opened by bringing in a meager $31.5 million domestically at the box office, a figure well below expectations and one that looks particularly bleak when you factor in that the film reportedly cost more than $150 million to make. What happened? Were fans just unwilling to go back to Blade Runner 's future 35 years after Ridley Scott's original film? Did women not want to see a movie where they had such limited roles? Or did the performance of Denis Villeneuve's Runner reboot just speak to the fact that not that many folks wanted to spend nearly three hours watching a moody—if stunning—sci-fi film when things are already so gloomy outside the multiplex? It's hard to say, though industry analysts suggest lack of interest from people under 25 and a runtime that allows for fewer screenings per day are contributing factors.

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