All projects, no matter how successful, have their haters, and sometimes, it's the performers or filmmakers themselves that speak out against a project. Some actors hate their characters, some hate specific seasons of their shows, and others hate the franchise they had a hand in shaping. It's not too common to see, but stars voicing their hated for something is always interesting.
Harrison Ford has never shied away from giving his opinion on his projects, and years back, he had fans raising eyebrows when he spoke up about why he dislikes Blade Runner, one of the best films he's ever been in.
Let's see why Harrison Ford disliked the classic.
Harrison Ford Starred In 'Blade Runner'
1982's Blade Runner has long been considered a masterpiece, and a project that helped push filmmaking into a new era. It's an amazing adaptation that has earned legions of fans throughout the years, and at this point, watching the movie is practically a right of passage.
Starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, and Sean Young, Blade Runner is a futuristic romp with a fantastic plot and excellent characters. Further bolstering the movie's legacy is the incredible lived-in world that Ridley Scott helped bring to life while serving as director.
Now, you might think that I've been describing a film that dominated the box office, but you'd be mistaken. Unbelievably, Blade Runner was not a huge hit back when it was released, but that hasn't stopped it from being heralded as a classic.
In 1993, the film was impressively selected for preservation by the Library of Congress.
Over 30 years after its release, the film was finally given a sequel.
He Reprised his Role In 'Blade Runner 2049'
In 2017, Blade Runner 2049 hit theaters, and fans of the original could hardly contain their excitement. It had been so long since the first movie, but thanks to Denis Villeneuve being on board as director, fans knew that this movie had a ton of potential.
In an interview, Ford was asked about Villeneuve taking over the depressing world that Ridley Scott helped bring to life in the original.
"Oh, but as depressing as it is, it forms an environment for questions about our culture. What it means to be human. Science, the future, the environment, all sorts of questions, and the answers to which engage us emotionally. Also, there's an indominability of the human spirit that's part of the telling of these stories. That's very strongly felt here," Ford said.
Blade Runner 2049 was not a huge success at the box office, but to this day, it's considered one of the best sequels of all time. This film has everything someone would want in a great movie, and it's a flick that fans of any genre should take the time to watch.
Now, fans might love the Blade Runner franchise, especially the first film, but years back, Ford made it known that he didn't much care for it. This made his return especially peculiar for Blade Runner 2049.
Why He Hated The First Film
So, why did Harrison Ford hate Blade Runner so much? Well, one major reason was the voice-over work he had to do for it.
Ford said that he "contested it mightily at the time," and that he had to do the voice-over in "five or six different forms, all of them found wanting."
That said, he disliked the film as a whole.
"I didn't like the movie one way or the other, with or without. I played a detective who did not have any detecting to do. In terms of how I related to the material, I found it very difficult. There was stuff that was going on that was really nuts," he said.
His opinion, however, seemed to change over time.
When promoting Blade Runner 2049, Ford spoke about the original, stating that it was ahead of its time.
"I do, because the first one was ahead of its time, and now is the time for this one. The issue of its immediate acceptance proved not to be a problem, because in the long term, it gained an enormous following and had a terrific impact on a generation of filmmakers and visual storytellers," he said.
Hindsight played a factor here, we're sure, but it's still great to learn that Ford could see that Blade Runner was a movie that had an enormous impact on filmmaking. It's not a perfect movie, but it's a darn good one.
Harrison Ford may never consider himself a huge fan of that first film, but its legacy will live on for years to come.