Ridley Scott must be having a major bout of nostalgia or something. Alcon Entertainment announced Thursday that Scott will definitely be directing the follow-up to his groundbreaking science fiction film “Blade Runner.” The director plans on stepping out of one return trip to the sci-fi world of yesteryear (“Alien” prequel/tie-in “Prometheus”) and into another. The same thing happened back in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He started work on “Blade Runner” right after he finished the first “Alien.” That’s a weird coincidence.
It was officially announced a few weeks back that Alcon had secured the rights to develop prequels and sequels to the classic 1982 film, but made no sort of announcement as to what the immediate intentions were. Apparently the studio wants to get something going as quickly as possible.
“It would be a gross understatement to say that we are elated Ridley Scott will shepherd this iconic story into a new, exciting direction. We are huge fans of Ridley’s and of the original ‘Blade Runner.’ This is [a] once in a lifetime project for us,” Alcon co-founders and co-CEOs Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove stated in a press release.
The announcement that Scott would return to direct a follow-up to “Blade Runner” comes as a shock to most sci-fi fans and lovers of the first film. Speaking as a huge fan of the original, I would have never guessed in a million years that I would one day see a sequel to “Blade Runner.” Then again, I would have never thought the director would return to his “Alien” universe either.
Just like all lovers of “Blade Runner,” I was skeptical of seeing someone else taking the helm of a follow-up. I believe Scott can do the job correctly, though. I am excited to see where he goes with the concept.
There’s already speculation the director might do the same thing he did with “Alien” when transitioning into the future world of “Blade Runner.” “Prometheus” started out as a strict prequel to “Alien” and, over the course of writing, turned into a spin-off of sorts. “Prometheus” takes place in the “Alien” universe but has no direct ties to any of the original’s characters. Could we get a “Blade Runner” movie that concentrates on a different character than Rick Deckard? Could Scott make a “Blade Runner” without Harrison Ford? If I trusted anyone to make those hard decisions, it would be Ridley Scott.
For more articles by Eric Shirey, check out:
Comparing ‘Cowboys & Aliens,’ From Graphic Novel to Silver Screen
Director Wants to Move Forward with ‘Apes’ Sequel
‘Hunger Games’ Sequel Already Given Release Date
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