One of the many memorable scenes in Ridley Scott's dystopian classic Blade Runner sees Rick Deckard (a spectacularly moody Harrison Ford) ring the house of a murder victim, introducing himself as a friend of the deceased as cover. His adversary, Pris (Daryl Hannah in her breakthrough role), takes the call, before abruptly bringing their VidPhone conversation to an end. "That's no way to treat a friend," Ford murmurs.
And Blade Runner fans - of whom there are many - could be forgiven for recalling those portentous words this week. Almost 30 years after Scott first introduced us to 2019 Los Angeles, starved of sunlight and populated by illegal androids (called replicants), a sequel has been confirmed. The original has become a cult favourite - an old friend that cineastes return to over and over again. And, judging by the concerned reaction on film sites around the world, those people are appalled that the power of this masterly science-fiction film might be lessened by this sequel.
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Their reaction is ironic because almost nobody stood up for Blade Runner on its release in 1982 - not even Scott himself, who was furious with the studio for inserting narration and a happy ending to make the film easier to follow. But, over the years, the tale of Deckard's gloomy hunt for the replicants has gained critical and cultural momentum, despite its initial cool reception.
The 10th-anniversary Director's Cut and the 25th-anniversary Final Cut restored Scott's early vision. But even in its original guise, Blade Runner was a groundbreaking film, a combination of science and detective fiction set in a claustrophobic urban landscape cluttered by skyscrapers, neon advertisements and flying cars. No surprise, then, that in 1993, Blade Runner was preserved forever in the United States National Film Registry - an honour given to select films that are deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
So anyone who wants to take on this legacy clearly has to tread carefully. But there is a glimmer of hope for those who feared that "Blade Runner 2" - the project has no official title yet, nor even a screenplay - was likely to be as disappointing as another 1982 techno-themed cult classic recently given the sequel treatment: Tron Legacy. Not only has the film company with the rights to Blade Runner promised it won't resort to a straight remake, it has persuaded Scott himself to direct the new film.
"We are elated Ridley Scott will shepherd this iconic story into a new, exciting direction ... it gives people a level of comfort about how serious we are," the producers Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove told Reuters.
It'll certainly be fascinating to see what that "new, exciting direction" turns out to be, not least because this time there's no source text to adapt. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Philip K Dick's 1968 novel on which much of Blade Runner is based, is a stand-alone book. Indeed, it's a measure of how influential the film version has been that, since 1982, Dick's bibliography has become de rigueur for excitable film studios keen to adapt his dystopian stories. Total Recall, Minority Report, A Scanner Darkly, Paycheck and this year's The Adjustment Bureau are all based on his work.
There is such a thing as being too influential, however. The look of Blade Runner - the monolithic cities, the postindustrial decay, the combination of high tech and scuzzy humanity that would go on to be called "cyberpunk" - has become the classic visual template for science-fiction films. The Matrix, The Terminator, The Fifth Element and many more have cheerfully stolen ideas from Blade Runner.
Unfortunately for Scott, once he's found a good enough story to tell (and we presume he will pass on the awful "authorised" Blade Runner books written after Dick's death), he also has to make it look distinctive all over again. As Kosove said: "We want to make sure we don't look like we're borrowing from the movies that borrowed from it."
And with Scott on board, that could easily mean a sequel that has only a passing resemblance to the original. After all, while grappling with the return to his other sci-fi masterpiece, Alien, he ditched the idea of a straight prequel and instead embarked on Prometheus, which, he told MTV News recently, had "strands of Alien's DNA" but was essentially a new story.
Prometheus is set for release next year, with "Blade Runner 2" following the year after. By which point Ridley Scott will be 75, and if he pulls off another groundbreaking futuristic tale, he will have deserved his retirement. But even if he doesn't, nothing can diminish the majesty of the original Blade Runner. Nobody is forcing anyone to watch a sequel. Which is something the apoplectic message board community would do well to remember.
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K Dick is re-released by Gollancz tomorrow
The specs: Hyundai Ionic Hybrid
Price, base: Dh117,000 (estimate)
Engine: 1.6L four-cylinder, with 1.56kWh battery
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power: 105hp (engine), plus 43.5hp (battery)
Torque: 147Nm (engine), plus 170Nm (battery)
Fuel economy, combined: 3.4L / 100km
Four tips to secure IoT networks
Mohammed Abukhater, vice president at FireEye in the Middle East, said:
- Keep device software up-to-date. Most come with basic operating system, so users should ensure that they always have the latest version
- Besides a strong password, use two-step authentication. There should be a second log-in step like adding a code sent to your mobile number
- Usually smart devices come with many unnecessary features. Users should lock those features that are not required or used frequently
- Always create a different guest network for visitors
Things Heard & Seen
Directed by: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, James Norton
2/5
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Which honey takes your fancy?
Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
Results
1. New Zealand Daniel Meech – Fine (name of horse), Richard Gardner – Calisto, Bruce Goodin - Backatorps Danny V, Samantha McIntosh – Check In. Team total First round: 200.22; Second round: 201.75 – Penalties 12 (jump-off 40.16 seconds) Prize €64,000
2. Ireland Cameron Hanley – Aiyetoro, David Simpson – Keoki, Paul Kennedy – Cartown Danger Mouse, Shane Breen – Laith. Team total 200.25/202.84 – P 12 (jump-off 51.79 – P17) Prize €40,000
3. Italy Luca Maria Moneta – Connery, Luca Coata – Crandessa, Simone Coata – Dardonge, Natale Chiaudani – Almero. Team total 130.82/198.-4 – P20. Prize €32,000
