Sources: Deadline, Los Angeles Times, and /Film
This past Thursday Alcon Entertainment announced that Ridley Scott will be directing and producing a movie set in the same universe as the seminal 1982 sci-fi classic Blade Runner. Back in March, Alcon Entertainment (a production company based out of Warner Bros.) acquired the rights to make sequels, prequels, and television content based on the film. The original, a sort of futuristic noir set in 2019 Los Angeles, focused on police officer Rick Deckard (played by Harrison Ford) and his mission to track down escaped androids called replicants. Blade Runner is loosely based on the Philip K. Dick novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
Director Ridley Scott is currently finishing work on the quasi Alien prequel Prometheus (due June 8 of next year, in 3-D) and is involved in the development for this new project as well. It would be safe to assume that the new film will be in three dimensions, with Scott having said how he'll "never work without 3-D again" On the other side of things, the movie's relationship with the original Blade Runner is not yet clear. The project could end up being a sequel or a prequel, and has no legal means to be a remake. So what does all of this add up to then?
Alcon Entertainment producer Andrew Kosove put it best: "Everything Ridley does as a filmmaker is fresh...I believe he sees an opportunity to create something that’s wholly original from the first 'Blade Runner.' " Much like Prometheus' transformation from Alien prequel to a project with "strands of Alien's DNA," this could turn out to be a film nearly unrelated to the original. And as for casting, that means that there will indeed be a lack of some Harrison Ford.
However, any casting news is likely a good year (or two) out. Ridley Scott and Alcon producers must first go through pre-production, which consists of choosing a writer, verifying the screenplay, and conceptual design. According to the Los Angeles Times, production will probably not begin until early 2013- assuming Scott doesn't direct one of his other developing projects first. Even if he moved straight to a new Blade Runner, the earliest it could be released would be 2014.
There's no doubt that Ridley Scott is a fantastic director. Hopefully this will turn out good, if not great (knock on wood). Although, it's pretty difficult to follow one of the Greatest Movies of All Time with something comparable (see George Lucas multiple times). Maybe some things are best left alone, but then again, maybe not.
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