See that thing up there? The box that says “Blade Runner 2049 - International TV Spot #1”? The one with the tempting "play" button on it? That’s the latest trailer for the sequel-reboot thing to Ridley Scott’s classic 1982 movie. Looks sexy, right? Who can resist Ryan Gosling’s puppy-dog eyes, Harrison Ford’s glowering face, and a whole lot of whatever the hell it is Jared Leto is doing. Oh man, it’s hot.
But you know what? Don’t watch it. This trailer is like that Sesame Street tome The Monster at the End of This Book, and like Grover we’re begging you not to turn that page. It’s not that there’s not a ton of cool stuff to see here—quite the contrary. Unlike most international trailers, which tack on about four seconds of extra footage and make such a big deal out if it, this one features glimpses of Denis Villeneuve’s movie you haven't seen. It all looks ... beautiful.
But again, don’t watch it. As my colleague Brian Raftery noted when the first Blade Runner 2049 trailer hit, the magic of this reboot will live or die depending on how ready-for-anything you are going into the theater. Poring over this trailer and its lush flourishes will only make the film that much more predictable and expected when you finally walk into that multiplex. The original Blade Runner blew minds because no one saw it coming. If you walk into this one already having theories about who the replicants are and whether Gosling is one of them (no human is that perfect, amirite?), you’ll regret it. We saw some great stuff from this film at Comic-Con International and we're pretty sure it'll be awesome. You don't need to know more than that.
So, take it from us—don’t watch this trailer. Wake up; it’s time to dodge.
