It was back in May of last year that actor Harrison Ford was tapped to return to the role of futuristic detective Rick Deckhard in the 1982 sci-fi action noir, Blade Runner. This week, with Alcon Entertainment now taking the reigns to help move the new film forward and long after all the hopes that Ford would return, the word from Deadline is that Ford is officially returning to the role with Prisoners helmer Denis Villeneuve is also now in talks to direct after just recently wrapping his own new crime pic, Sicaro.
Written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples, the first film is set in November in the year 2019, with Ford in the role of semi-retired LAPD detective Rick Deckhard, who, in the course of being pulled back to duty as a “blade runner” to hunt down and “retire” rogue humanoid beings called “replicants” following a bloody mutiny that led to their illegality, finds himself protecting and falling in love with Rachael (Sean Young) a replicant who believes herself to be human. Villenueve‘s new film, should he be confirmed, will follow a new script written by Hampton and Peoples with co-scribe Michael Green, based on an idea by Fancher and the first film’s director, Ridley Scott, who will now executive produce as of just several months ago.
The new script is exepected to take place several decades after the end of the first film, although there is no other word yet on whether or not the new film will be an original follow-up or be attributed to any of the three sequel novels written by K.W. Jeter between 1995 and 2000. Cameras are expected to begin rolling next summer while we await further info on who else will star.
Ford has also been in the headlines pertaining to other memorable roles he’s been known for in movie history, including his hopeful return to the fray as Indiana Jones while other names such as Bradley Cooper and Chris Pratt have circulated. The actor is also expected to reappear back in the role of intergalactic adventurer Han Solo along with an ensemble cast of new and old faces in this December’s release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
More to come!