‘Blade Runner’ Sequel Confirmed; Harrison Ford to Return; New Director Named

Alcon Entertainment which acquired the rights to the 1982 science fiction film Blade Runner in 2011 is talks with Polytechnique and Prisoners director Denis Villeneuve to helm the sequel, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Harrison Ford has previously already confirmed that he will be returning to reprise his Rick Deckard role in the upcoming film. Ridley Scott, who directed the original, also previously announced that he too will be back, but only as a producer.

As gathered by the entertainment news site, the story for the sequel will be taking place several decades after the conclusion of the 1982 original, which then centered on Deckard (Ford), a police operative who is tasked with chasing down bio-engineered beings called 'replicants.' Beyond that, nothing else is known about the follow-through film. However, Hampton Fancher, a co-writer of the 1982 classic, is confirmed to be returning to write the new screenplay that will continue the Blade Runner saga with Michael Green, based on a storyline he shares with Scott.

Scott, in an early interview with Variety, said that while Ford will do reprise his role from the original film, he will only factor into the story at the end of the sequel film. Said he: "Harrison is very much part of this one, but really it's about finding him. He comes in in the third act."

Producers Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson of Alcon Entertainment in their press announcement said: "We are honored that Harrison is joining us on this journey with Denis Villeneuve, who is a singular talent, as we experienced personally on Prisoners. Hampton and Michael, with Ridley Scott, have crafted a uniquely potent and faithful sequel to one of the most universally celebrated films of all time, and we couldn't be more thrilled with this amazing, creative team."

The original Blade Runner is a film adaptation of the 1968 novel by Philip K. Dick titled "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?"

The upcoming film is reportedly scheduled to start principal photography in the summer of 2016.