Blade Runner 2049 surges in streaming charts nearly a decade after box office flop
A Ridley Scott-produced sci-fi sequel that stumbled in theaters is now a global streaming hit. According to MovieWeb, *Blade Runner 2049* has spent much of September reappearing in top 10 movie charts on HBO Max in dozens of countries, from Brazil to Argentina.
The 2017 film, directed by Denis Villeneuve, reportedly lost money for its backers after a worldwide gross around $260 million. Its lengthy 164-minute runtime and a cryptic marketing campaign were blamed at the time, despite near-universal acclaim from critics.
Now, with the movie more widely available to stream, audiences are flocking to it. Per the report, it climbed as high as third place in some territories during the week of September 14.
The renewed interest comes as Prime Video prepares to launch *Blade Runner 2099* on November 25. That new series, which Scott is also producing, continues the story five decades after the sequel, making *2049* essential viewing.
