A new Blade Runner movie was announced just yesterday, and already they’re making it very clear: original star Harrison Ford will not be involved this time around. There are still no details as to whether this is going to be a sequel or a prequel — as opposed to a remake or reboot — but Ford’s character, Rick Deckard, will probably not be featured. But Ridley Scott is on board, and if there is going to be a new Blade Runner, that’s probably the most important thing.
In an interview with the LA Times, producer Andrew Kosove of Alcon Entertainment says that Scott is ready for a complete overhaul, seeing this as an opportunity for something “wholly original” stemming from the first Blade Runner. And that means a new star:
“In no way do I speak for Ridley Scott,” Kosove said. “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.”
It’s kind of easy to see why another Blade Runner might be a good opportunity for Ridley Scott. While he has enjoyed a successful career since the first Blade Runner, that movie was a box office flop-turned-cult hit that has been considered one of the best movies ever made. So would taking that second chance be a completely unnecessary thing to do? Maybe not, especially considering that the first movie took place in 2019 and we’re a mere eight years away from that. (Without any flying cars, I might add.) Perhaps there’s even more material to pull from Philip K. Dick‘s novel, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, on which the movie was loosely based, and which also featured a character named John Isidore, who makes friends with androids.
It’s still early. But at least we won’t be wondering about Harrison Ford. That’s pretty much it, though.
(LA Times via MTV Movies Blog)
