New Blade Runner Movie Confirmed To Be A Sequel

The "Blade Runner" continuation that has been discussed since last year is officially a sequel. On Thursday, Alcon Entertainment announced that Hampton Fancher, the original writer of "Blade Runner" (which was adapted from the Philip K. Dick novel "Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?"), is working on a follow-up to Ridley Scott's landmark sci-fi film. The "Blade Runner" sequel will take place "some years after the first film concluded." When Alcon acquired the rights to "Blade Runner" in March of 2011, the production company (an off-shoot of Warner Bros.) was given free rein to make either a prequel or a sequel to Scott's film, but not a remake. "In no way do I speak for Ridley Scott," Alcon Entertainment president Andrew Kosove told the Los Angeles Times in August of 2011. "But if you're asking me will this movie have anything to do with Harrison Ford, the answer is no. This is a total reinvention, and in my mind that means doing everything fresh, including casting." About that: Back in February of this year, rumors surfaced that Harrison Ford was in discussions to join the new "Blade Runner," but whether that comes to pass remains to be seen. For his part, Scott seems excited about the direction of "Blade Runner 2." "Funny enough, I started my first meetings on the Blade Runner sequel last week," he told The Daily Beast. "We have a very good take on it. And we’ll definitely be featuring a female protagonist." That would put "Blade Runner 2" in league with other Scott films like "Thelma and Louise," "Hannibal," and -- most famously -- "Alien." Scott returns to the "Alien" universe with "Prometheus" (a non-prequel prequel to his 1979 film), out in theaters on June 8.