A lot has changed in the dark, dystopian world of Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner films, but thanks to some new set photos for the upcoming Blade Runner 2049 sequel, we know that the cars are still cool as hell. On Friday afternoon, the people who run the Blade Runner 2049 Facebook page shared a handful of new photos, including a few shots of the vehicles in the movie, which could be a look into how much technology has advanced in the 30 years since the first film took place. Based on these photos, it looks like producer Ridley Scott plans to give viewers another vision of the future as depicted by the past.
In 1982, Blade Runner showed the world a dark vision of the future. The Los Angeles depicted in this film had flying cars, but nothing about it was shiny or utopian. The sequel, Blade Runner 2049, is slated for fall of 2017. If the trailer and publicity images show us anything, it’s that this new film promises to remain true to the grime-and-neon aesthetic of its predecessor.
Here’s what we know about the cars on the streets of future-L.A.:
Ryan Gosling walks by a car with strange bumper attachments on set of 'Blade Runner 2049.'
Retro-Future Bumper Columns
This inexplicable body work harkens back to the original 1982 film, even evoking the angular automobile shapes of that time period. It’s not clear whether there’s a purpose behind this car’s construction, but if we can make a prediction based on the original movie, these columns could have something to do with how the car converts from terrestrial to aerial mode.
Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford stand by a car that looks like a sleeker version of the first film's flying car.
Updated Flying Police Car
This car bears a striking resemblance to the flying police car from the original film, especially when you look at the vertical headlights. They sit in front of the wheel arch, which envelops the front tire, much like those components did on the previous version of this car. It seems safe to say this is probably the newer, slicker version of that famous car.
Ryan Gosling and Ana de Armas ride in a car that has a bunch of screens and, for some reason, a control lever.
Fancy Screens but Also a Joystick
We can see at least three screens in this police car. Despite the upgraded technology, it still seems to be controlled manually, based on the joystick Ryan Gosling is gripping in this photo. Perhaps in 2049 there are flying cars but not autonomous cars.
Whatever the case may be, we can’t wait to see that flying car again. Odds are it will look better than it did in the first film.
