Ridley Scott, the acclaimed Oscar-winning filmmaker, has signed on to direct and produce a new instalment of his ground-breaking 1982 sci-fi thriller Blade Runner. According to Deadline.com, Scott will make the movie with Alcon Entertainment and producing partners Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove.
The producers gained control of the franchise earlier this year, but Scott has only recently committed to directing. It is currently unclear whether the filmmaker intends to make a prequel or a sequel to the original, loosely based on Phillip K. Dick's novel 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?' Another question concerns whether original star Harrison Ford will be involved in the project, or whether Scott will turn his attention to a younger actor. The original film was set in a dystopian Los Angeles in the year 2019 - Ford played blade runner 'Richard Deckard' assigned to hunt down the superhuman robots 'Replicants'. Although not an immediate commercial success, Blade Runner has since been heralded as an important movie in 20th century cinema for its stunning visuals and complex storyline. It will be the second time in recent years that Scott has revisited his past projects - he recently shot sci-fi flick 'Prometheus', loosely based on his 'Alien' franchise.
Blade Runner was nomination for two Academy Awards in 1983 for 'Best Art Direction - Set Decoration' and 'Best Effects, Visual Effects'.