Stupidity Reigns: Blade Runner Rights Purchased for Prequels/Sequels

Say you're a film production company and obviously want a "sure thing" to put cash in your pocket. Fair enough, but a "sure thing" is few and far between. Having big-name actors isn't what it used to be since very, very few are truly movie-stars – someone whose presence on-screen and slapped across one-sheets, trailers, TV spots, etc. will ensure asses in seats because of their participation.

So what's the closest you can get to a "sure thing," then? Something with brand-name value; you say the title and there's an immediate recognition from the audience. It can be anything; a comic-book, cartoon, a toy or in most cases, sequels, prequels and, as been the trend lately, reboots to past popular fare. Good or bad, they know what you're talking when you name drop it.

With that, why in God's name would anyone in their right mind think it makes good business sense to spend their time and money on a property that only has recognition from a niche audience (read: nerds like me) but originates from a film that's decades old and, at the time, was an expensive flop?

I'm, of course, referring to the announcement of Alcon Entertainment, the production company behind The Blind Side, Book of Eli and the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants films has purchased the rights behind Blade Runner with the intention of developing prequels and/or sequels to Ridley Scott's influential 1982 science fiction classic.

Were they asleep when Tron: Legacy hit last Christmas? Strangely enough, that sequel also dated back to a niche-friendly cult film from '82 that failed and didn't deliver the numbers Disney was expecting. Why the Mouse thought that made financial sense is also beyond me, and now that franchise is sitting around with blind-hopes from its fans for a third installment that will most-likely never come.

Creatively, yes something interesting could come out of a Blade Runner follow-up. I'm talking strictly from a business perspective. If that was my money being spent to buy up the rights to something like Blade Runner and then all the dough that will required to properly bring that world back to the silver screen, I'd be pissed. History has proven countless times now, that blowing lots of money behind a property that appeals 100% to the niche will not have good results in the end financially speaking.