“Blade Runner 2049” – Living Up to Original Vangelis Soundtrack
One of the bigger contributory factors to the success of “Blade Runner” was the atmospheric and lush music score provided by Vangelis. It was a very emotive part of the world that Ridley Scott created which is why it will be equally as important on the sequel.
Denis Villeneuve’s long-time music collaborator Johann Johannsson has been attached as composer for a year but apparently, he hasn’t been able to stay on schedule with the vast needs of the film’s additional score. To meet the soundscape expectation of the entire film, they have added some big-gun talent with Benjamin Wallfisch (A Cure for Wellness) and Hans Zimmer (Batman Trilogy) who most recently collaborated together on Christopher Nolan’s “Dunkirk”. While Villeneuve is happy with Johannnsson’s work, he says,
“It’s hard to get to Vangelis’ angle. It’s a very specific sound, and it’s very important that the music of 2049 be directly inspired by Vangelis’ work. We have Johann’s breathtaking atmospheric sounds, but I needed other things, and Hans helped us.”
It is comforting to hear that this very important part of the “Blade Runner” universe is getting the attention and talent that is needed and will hopefully meet the wide fan base expectations.
In cinemas – 5 October 17