Offer Out to Harrison Ford for 'Blade Runner' Sequel

By
Warner Bros.

Perhaps Deckard isn't a Replicant after all…? An offer has been extended to Harrison Ford to reprise his role as Rick Deckard in the upcoming sequel to Ridley Scott's seminal sci-fi classic Blade Runner.


Variety
reports that producers for Alcon Entertainment, who owns the rights to Blade Runner in terms of sequels or prequels, say, "We would be honored, and we are hopeful, that Harrison will be part of our project."


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Back in August of 2011, the news first broke that director Ridley Scott had signed on to direct and produce a new installment of his iconic and hugely influential sci-fi film, but no further details were revealed. Several months later, it was announced that the film would be a sequel with the original film's screenwriter, Hampton Fancher, recruited to develop the film. Green Lantern and TV writer Michael Green was added to the writing roster.

No details about the plot have been released, other than that it will take place several decades after the original. Talking about the project, Scott told The Daily Beast that the story will "definitely be featuring a female protagonist."


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Based on Philip K. Dick's 1968 novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Scott's 1982 film starred Ford as a retired Los Angeles detective in 2019 tasked with tracking down a quartet of Replicants -- perfect androids practically indistinguishable from humans -- who are illegally on Earth seeking to meet their maker and extend their expiration date. Scott and Fancher originally conceived of their 1982 classic as the first in a series of films incorporating the themes and characters featured in Dick's groundbreaking novel.

The interesting question raised with Ford's invitation to return will be whether or not Deckard is indeed a Replicant. The original cryptic ending left audiences wondering if he was artificial and did not realize it, just like Sean Young's Rachel character. But Scott has since clarified his vision, telling ET back in 1992 about his then-just-released Director's Cut, "What I thought made sense was that [the] Deckard character could possibly be a Replicant, so that's gone back in [this version]. I think what would be curious to ask about the Harrison Ford character is was he a [Nexus]-7, or was he an 8? … It's clearly there if you watch even the first version: there's a clue when he picks up the unicorn at the end, that little piece of origami."

Of course, Ford is committed to reprising his role as Han Solo in the new Star Wars: Episode VII first, so still no word yet as to when the new Blade Runner film will hit theaters. Could be 2019. Until then, like tears in rain, we'll all just have to work on our unicorn origami at a noodle bar.

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