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BLADE RUNNER Sequel Adds Dave Bautista
Development on director Denis Villeneuve’s forthcoming Blade Runner sequel is slowly taking shape, and much to the delight of folks fond of the 1982 sci-fi noir, as well as Villeneuve’s own 2015 action hit, Sicario. Having seen both, I can honestly share in the favoring opinions of those who feel Villenueve is an exquisite fit for the kind of concentrated and immersive telling that occurs, as exhibited in the first film, and will likely make actor Harrison Ford’s own return to form even more ceremonial.
For this, we get a great looking cast that now adds Kickboxer: Vengeance co-star Dave Bautista, who has done impressively for himself in front of a camera with a script. His role currently remains undetailed while said only to be that of an important supporting one next to Ford as well as Ryan Gosling and Robin Wright. Alcon Entertainment provides more in their latest announcement below:
Dave Bautista will join Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford and Robin Wright in an important supporting role in Alcon Entertainment’s sequel to Ridley Scott’s 1982 masterpiece BLADE RUNNER, it was announced by Alcon co-founders and co-CEO’s Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson.
Director Denis Villeneuve (Sicario, Prisoners) is directing. Principal photography is scheduled to begin July 2016 and the film will be released by Warner Bros. in North America. Sony Pictures Releasing International will distribute in all overseas territories in all media.
The film is set several decades after the 1982 original, with Harrison Ford reprising his iconic role as Rick Deckard. The film is written by Hampton Fancher and Michael Green, and succeeds the initial story by Fancher and David Peoples based on Philip K. Dick’s novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. Story details, as well as Bautista’s character, are not being revealed.
Alcon Entertainment acquired the film, television and ancillary franchise rights to BLADE RUNNER in 2011 from the late producer Bud Yorkin and Cynthia Sikes Yorkin to produce prequels and sequels to the iconic science-fiction thriller. Cynthia Sikes Yorkin will produce along with Johnson and Kosove. Bud Yorkin will receive producer credit.
Frank Giustra and Tim Gamble, CEO’s of Thunderbird Films, will serve as executive producers. Ridley Scott will also executive produce. Bill Carraro will executive produce.
Bautista recently appeared in Marvel Studios’ blockbuster hit Guardians of the Galaxy and the newest installment of the James Bond franchise Spectre from Columbia Pictures. His upcoming projects include Lionsgate’s 2016 action film Marauders starring Bruce Willis and Adrian Grenier as well as Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 where he will reprise his role as Drax the Destroyer alongside Chris Pratt and Zoe Saldana, due out 2017 from Marvel Studios.
Harrison Ford To Return In BLADE RUNNER Sequel With Denis Villeneuve In Talks To Direct
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!