Blade Runner 2 Gets Incept Date; Now Who Should Do The Soundtrack?

blade-runner-2-soundtrack

Alcon Entertainment has announced that the ‘Blade Runner 2′ – the sequel to Ridley Scott’s 1982 sci fi classic Blade Runner – will be released by Warner Bros. in North America on January 12, 2018.

The film will star Harrison Ford (reprising his role as Rick Deckard) and Ryan Gosling,, and will be directed by Denis Villeneuve (Sciario, Prisoners).

The story, written by Hampton Fancher (co-writer of the original) and Michael Green and based on a story by Fancher and Ridley Scott, takes up several decades after the conclusion of the 1982 original.

While the Vangelis score of the original was one of the most iconic soundtracks of the 80s, would he be the best choice to score a sequel? 

His style of scoring moved towards much more emulative orchestral sounds in the 90s. And tastes in film scores have changed, too – it’s rare to hear a sci fi score these days that isn’t primarily orchestral.

And other artists have made more notable electronic scores in recent years.

Can a Blade Runner 2 be a true sequel without a Vangelis score? Let us know what you think in the comments. And let us know who you think would be a good choice to handle the score.

160 thoughts on “Blade Runner 2 Gets Incept Date; Now Who Should Do The Soundtrack?”

      1. m83 is great. it’s the studio hacks that brought in the help for a score that needed none. have you even heard the original? It would be difficult NOT to offer it to Junkie XL though…

      1. You need a musical genius and there’s really only one: Kanye West. It doesn’t hurt that he’s also “the greatest living rock star on the planet.” With a film this important you want a score that will be remembered for a thousand years and Yeezy’s the only guy who can deliver.

        1. Ha ha.. Kayne West! You made my day. Rihanna, Beyonce with Miley Cyrus. We must give everyone a chance and not have that disaster of that “vanilla” Oscars. Appreciate mediocrity.

  2. No, Vangelis is too tied into the original’s 80s zeitgeist, not likely to be an asset today. Possibly BT?

    And at least the sequel won’t be saddled with that godawful airbrush poster.

  5. Personally, Vangeles doing the soundtrack would only add to the appeal of the movie for fans of the original. Although I’m more concerned with Ridley Scott not directing the sequel. Been meaning to watch Sicario, I’ve heard its really good so hoping the new director does a great job.

  7. with artists like Aphex Twin, Andy Stott, Boards of Canada, Ben Frost, Oneothrix…. and you guys are talking about M83 and BT?! HAHAHA NO

  9. Symmetry, which is Johnny Jewel and Nat Walker from Chromatics. They created the stylistic template for the film Drive. No doubt these are the guys for the job.

      1. Do androids dream of electric sequels??

        I want Vangelis but have my doubts he could pull it off at this time and his current style working with a Sci-Fi film…

      2. Yes I have the original here with very other dick story, magazine articles, and radio plays from the sixties, the movie is based on the book

        1. Well…there were two other sequel novels already that were “Official”.

          Guess that’s why this new one is decades later…besides Harrison.

  15. Vangelis is necessary to bring the atmosphere of Blade Runner…maybe they can bring also Daft Punk … I love their original music score for TRON … (not the one Disney release) and Daft Punk respect the interaction with other styles. Vangelis is necessary… the Vangelis CS80 sound is necessary in the cinematic universe of Blade Runner.

      1. I’m not much of a Daft Punk fan, but they did an amazing job on the Tron soundtrack. I listen to it all the time. Having said that, I don’t think they would be the best fit for a Blade Runner film.

    1. Glad somebody finally mentioned kuedo. He basically sounds like vangelis but with a more modern dance music feel. Footwork, dubstep, but with vangelis brass and string sounds? That would be amazing.

    1. Totally agree. But if a mediocre sequel is absolutely necessary, remove Harrison Ford from the equation and cast Melissa McCarthy as Deckard.

  28. Hans Zimmer will be all over this new movie, flashing all his electronic gear.
    I hope it will be Vangelis scoring the sequel.
    His music is the only thing that will be remembered and admired from the Blade Runner movies hundreds of years from now.

  29. Hans Zimmer. In all seriousness. He would do a great job, owns all kinds of synths. Look what he did with “Gladiator”. Amazing score.

  30. We should think about the real necessity of a sequel. Should we really do another Blade Runner? What about another Gremlins, Ghost Busters, or what about Top Gun? No? Why not just do something new. And then, it would be really cool to have something that we could talk about 30 years later. And we’ll talk about the soundtrack too!

  31. Autechre. Not because I think their recent work would be a good match, but because I think their approach to doing an OST would be transformative, both for them and the film.

  35. A #wildcard #newbie but not new to electronic music… Brother El. I would skeet all over that soundtrack, and I know fans of Blade Runner would honor my contribution. My treatment of the soundtrack would also garner new supporters once they hear it. It would be an odyssey where Androids Dream of more than Electric Sheep! Indulge in this movie score freestyle: https://youtu.be/kIVl2KWrz2I #livePA

  36. How can they use Harrison Ford for the sequel? If he aged, then we know he wasn’t a replicant, and that was part of the mystery of the original, is Deckard a human or not? I hope they don’t ruin it man.

    1. We already know Deckard is a Replicant. That ship sailed in 1992.

      The question is – is he a Nexus 6, or a prototype Nexus 7 thats so human it has all its weaknesses, like ageing?

      Its more likely he’s playing the human the Deckard replicant was based on, just like Rachel was a based on Tyrells niece.

  44. Vangelis together with Daft Punk.

    “Tron” was already a type of Bladerunner 2, and the score of Daft Punk on it proves they are good.

  46. Le Matos has to do it. Just listen to their work on the movie Turbo Kid last year!! They have some great analog synths they use, would nail it! even better watch the movie its awsome. Best soundtrack album ive brought since Blade Runner (you can get Le Matos Turbo Kid sound track on vinyl as well!!)

    heres a sample:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nZGNbeR1XM

  48. I would pick someone like Jon Hopkins, Eno or Martin Gore who are truly capable of recreating the magical atmospheric sounds Vangelis did with the first Bladerunner ST… If they are looking for an electro genius Gore would be my first choice, have always wondered what he would be capable of doing working on a soundtrack … It may just be my DM bias, second choice Hopkins

  54. ever thought the film might be a disaster, does blade runner need a sequel.

    the film industry is like the music industry it regurgitates money for old rope in the hope of a fast buck and stifles innovation and creativity.

    bhooooo to sequels

  60. nobody can’t reproduce Vagelis’s soundtrack success, even Vangelis himself – other time, superior Mass culture and all about commercial.

  67. THERE IS NO ONE BUT THE PIONEER HIMSELF. Vangelis

    Without him it is not blade runner imo

    I’m okay with a whole new story and character cast but the feeling must remain

  68. It will be Zimmer or Martinez or Reznor.
    It don’ t matter which one.
    It will be totally predictable.
    You can hear it right now if you put your imagination to it.
    I suggest Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow who scored Ex Machina for the job.
    Having said that, Blade Runner 2 will have to be going some
    to be better than Ex Machina and I doubt it will.

  72. I m with kelvyn! Daft Punk, Trent Raznor, Vangelis. Or also Bear McCreary, who did great jobs with Battlestar Galactica and Defiance.

    But personally I would prefer the master himself, Vangelis! I m sure that he is still able to float into this kind of wonderful and synthetic but also very organic feeling kind of music.

  79. ive heard music / soundtracks from all of the above
    how about something new

    boom boom satellites ? (playing them right now , damn good) . would give the film an unusual feel

    or that bloke that did mr robot.

  83. I’m amazed that nobody has mentioned M83. I thought he did an incredible job with Oblivion.

    My personal short list of people I’d love to see score BR2:

    M83
    Mac Quayle
    Cliff Martinez

  87. Of course: Vangelis has to do the job again. And hopefully he will use analog sounds mixed with his orchestral sounds! Something to look forward to!

  88. I agree with whiteblob, Blade Runner is an iconic classic and doesn’t really call for a sequel. I think this is going to be Total Recall all over again, which is why I think Vangelis should stay the hell away from it.

  90. This should be a great Various Artists of our contemporaries
    -Aphex Twin
    -Arca
    -Kode9
    -Skeptical
    -Akkord
    -Gaslamp Killer

    Not just them, but guys like them.

  91. RENHOLDER. His remix ability, industrial-leaning style.

    Guy made the most amazing remixes for tool and a perfect circle. Has been on many movie soundtracks. Yea…

  93. Black rain – the group already dipped into 2 BladeRunner Two Pieces on the last Album “Dark Pool” –
    albeit from the KW Jeter authored sequel “Edge Of Human”.
    And BR did Neuromancer and original Johnny Mnemonic sdtks.

  100. well based on Scott’s ongoing relationship with Gregson-Williams it very well could be him and he is amazing. i LOVED the Prometheus score. which was Marc Streitenfeld and Gregson-Williams. being that this is Synthtopia its right that everyone would speculate on an all synth score like the first film and I’m sure whoever gets the keys to the car will at the very lease pay homage to Vangelis’ magnificent score, it could be that a modern approach will be taken, obviously synths will be incorporated as they are in most scores. but yeah why not Vangelis? but of course Reznor and Ross would have a really cool take on it. but i think my vote would be for Zimmer, he is amazing and would do a beyond incredible job. but its one of those dream scores any composer would love to be involved with.

  107. Alva Noto & Ryuichi Sakamoto or Radiohead or William Basinski or Uther Moads or Sam Prekop or Tortoise or Oren Ambarchi or Prefuse 73 or Jim O’Rourke or John Chantler or Grandbrothers or Björk or John Zorn or Keith Fullerton-Whitman or Radovan Scasascia or Christian Fennesz or David Behrman. I would be fine with one of them.

  108. I vote for Cliff Martinez. If anyone can make an analog-based synth soundtrack work for a medical drama that takes place in 1901, then that guy can do Blade Runner 2

  114. Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury.
    Cliff Martinez.
    Trent Reznor.
    There are plenty of electronic film composers that could do a marvellous job.
    But I’d actually love to see another score by Daft Punk, or someone of that ilk.
    Jean Michel Jarre, John Carpenter, Giorgio Moroder, these blokes are still kicking!

    Could someone find out where Wendy Carlos is?
    I imagine she’s just chilling in Brooklyn with her cats, but it’d be incredible to hear another score from that wonderful woman!
    Of course they could just let me do it ;p

  119. Wendy Carlos is a good choice….it woul be interesting to see what she does with the new sound palettes and stuff like Massive e.t.c

  120. Seeing as how Jóhann Jóhannsson collabarated with Denis on his last two films, I don’t see why he wouldn’t be chosen for this project. Denis is keeping Deakins on as cinematographer, so it seems he has a creative team going on. Kind of like Paul Thomas Anderson has Robert Elswit and Jonny Greenwood, or how Spielberg has Janus Kaminski and John Williams. Plus I’m a huge fan of Sicario’s score.

  130. John Foxx, he’s one of the 80’s synth sound makers and he is still active. He did brilliant electronic instrumentals as well (check “Tiny Colour Movies” from 2006). The other choice is Gary Numan, he did with Ade Fenton an industrial electronic masterpiece for the 2014 film “From Inside”. Why not a Numan-Foxx colaboration? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XsshrbwUv8

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