'Blade Runner 2' Sequel Release Date Moved Up; Female Lead Announced
Fans of the neo-noir science fiction film "Blade Runner" can expect the next installment to come out sooner, as Alcon Entertainment announced that the sequel's release date has been moved up to Oct. 6, 2017, instead of the original date, Jan. 12, 2018. In addition to this good news, the female lead for the new film, "Blade Runner 2," was also revealed. Cuban actress Ana de Armas will star with veteran star Harrison Ford, who is reprising his role as Detective Rick Deckard.
Ryan Gosling, Robin Wright, and Dave Bautista will also be co-starring on the film, set decades after the first, which had come out in 1982. Directing the second installment is Denis Villeneuve, who has "Sicario" and "Prisoners" to his credit. Hampton Fancher and Michael Green wrote the screenplay, which Fancher and David Peoples did for the first film. Film photography will be done by Roger Deakins.
Ridley Scott, who directed the original movie, will be executive producer on the next installment, along with Thunderbird Films CEOs, Frank Giustra and Tim Gamble, and Bill Carraro.
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Television, film, and ancillary franchise rights to produce prequels and sequels of "Blade Runner" were bought by Alcon Entertainment from the late producer Bud Yorkin and Cynthia Sikes Yorkin. Sikes Yorkin will produce alongside Johnson and Kosove while Bud Yorkin will receive producer credit.
Principal photography begins in July. Warner Bros. is set to distribute the film domestically while Sony handles the international distribution.
The original film had been written based on Philip K. Dick's novel, "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" which was published in 1968. The plot for the upcoming film has not been revealed.
The story of the first film was about Deckard's work tracking down genetically engineered replicants which have escaped.
The original movie had been selected in 1993 by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.
