Just a few weeks ago, the internet went into a bit of a frenzy with news that an Alien sequel was officially in the works with Elysium director Neill Blomkamp taking the reins. Now comes news of the sequel to director Ridley Scott’s (Exodus: Gods and Kings) other hugely seminal film, 1982’s Blade Runner. Denis Villeneuve (Enemy) is in talks to direct Blade Runner 2 for Warner Bros. based Alcon Entertainment, with Harrison Ford (The Age of Adaline) set to reprise his role as Rick Dreckard.
After news broke last year that Hampton Fancher – co-writer of the original film – and Michael Green had written the follow-up to the dystopian sci-fi classic, many thought that Ridley Scott would step back into the role of director. But after he officially announced otherwise, Alcon was tasked with finding a director with a unique and assured vision capable of giving the sequel the proper care to meet the lofty heights of the original. Enter Villeneuve, who had previously worked with Alcon Entertainment for 2013’s crime thriller Prisoners.
With Ford confirmed to return, the film is set to begin principal photography in the summer of 2016. Before then, we’ll see Ford in his other highly anticipated sci-fi sequel, Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Villeneuve, meanwhile, will be bringing another crime thriller to audiences this year in the form of Sicario, the Emily Blunt (Into the Woods), Josh Brolin (Inherent Vice), and Benicio Del Toro (Paradise Lost) headlined film about an FBI agent tasked with taking down a Mexican cartel boss.