It has been a rumor since Alcon Entertainment acquired the rights several years ago, but it seems that a new Blade Runner movie is finally going to happen. Like so many other stories like this, though, this Blade Runner project has been mentioned with the dreaded R-words – reboot and remake – but we’re dodging the bullet on that for once. Instead, the company that is bringing us the totally unnecessary Point Break remake has signed director Ridley Scott and co-writer Hampton Fancher to bring us back to dystopian L.A. several decades after we last saw Rick Deckard in action.
Now, the only questions that remain are “What is this sequel going to be about?” and “Is everyone’s favorite cranky old man, Harrison Ford, returning, too?” The answer to that first question is “None of your business” and the second one is a little more complicated.
In a joint statement, Alcon co-founders Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove said: “We believe that Hampton Fancher and Michael Green have crafted with Ridley Scott an extraordinary sequel to one of the greatest films of all time. We would be honored, and we are hopeful, that Harrison will be part of our project.” (Via the Hollywood Reporter)
Ford, of course, is filming Star Wars: Episode VII as we type, and he’s also expected to put the Indiana Jones fedora on one more time in the near future. But as THR points out, Scott has a full plate right now as well, and the Alcon guys need time to start building that fan support that they’re banking on to make sure that Ford doesn’t tell them, “Sure, I’ll do it for all of the money in Hollywood” while he growls, because that dude is always growling. Unless, of course, Alcon’s plan is to trick Ford into signing by getting Benedict Cumberbatch do his Chewbacca noise for him. Because that might work.