'Blade Runner 2049' rollout will include a virtual reality component thanks to Oculus, Alcon Interactive

Just hours after Warner Bros. and Alcon Entertainment announced the title of the new Blade Runner movie, Alcon revealed it has formed a new division called Alcon Interactive that has partnered with leading virtual reality company Oculus to create VR content based on Blade Runner 2049.

Denis Villeneuve is directing the sequel, which stars Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Jared Leto, Robin Wright, Dave Bautista, Mackenzie Davis, Ana de Armas, Lennie James, Sylvia Hoeks, David Dastmalchian, Carla Juri, Hiam Abbass and Barkhad Abdi.

VR experiences are all the rage these days, and the Blade Runner 2049 content will be released exclusively on the Oculus platform around the time of the film's release in October 2017.

Veteran attorney Dan Offner will serve as Interim Head of Alcon Interactive, having previously worked on interactive entertainment projects with Alcon’s Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove. Offner was an early stage investor in and general counsel of Oculus through its sale to Facebook before returning to his private practice and angel investing.  

"The first Blade Runner created a new standard for science-fiction films, world building and visual effects and we believe that our sequel will continue that tradition, pushing new boundaries in entertainment. We are excited for Oculus’s involvement and the opportunity to utilize VR to enhance the overall experience of our innovative film," Johnson and Kosove said in a joint statement.

“Blade Runner has always pushed the boundaries of cinema, visionary art, design and story and bringing the sequel to this beloved sci-fi property to VR gives us an opportunity to push those boundaries further. We look forward to giving audiences a new way to experience this iconic title in an entirely new and reimagined way," said Colum Slevin, head of experiences at Oculus.

Blade Runner 2049 producer Ridley Scott is no stranger to virtual reality, as his recent sci-fi movie The Martian had its own VR experience.