Screenwriter Michael Green In Talks To Take A Shot At BLADE RUNNER 2

TheWrap reports that Ridley Scott is still actively trying to put together that new Blade Runner film. They say that Alcon Entertainment/Scott Free is in talks to hire Michael Green (Green Lantern) to write a script for the project. Last we heard David Peoples (who adapted the original film) and Janet Peoples was tackling an outline or draft of their own. At the time Ridley and Alcon had confirmed it would indeed be a sequel of sorts. This new report seemingly reiterates that aspect set some years after the original film. I don't doubt that Green could give us something interesting but the stain of Green Lantern's awful box office could make the folks involved cautious to commit. To be fair he handed in a draft of The Flash for Warner Bros. which seemingly peeked the studio's interest as well.

'BLADE RUNNER 2' Officially A Sequel Set Several Years Later, Deckard Likely Not Involved

Earlier today it was revealed that screenwriter Hampton Fancher was likely going to be involved in the writing process for the Blade Runner sequel. Now with this new press release from Variety it seems that Alcon and Scott Free are confirming this new film is indeed a sequel and not a prequel/reboot. While the film is still set in the same world created by Ridley Scott back in 1982 it be set some years after the original film. Ridley also announced that the protagonist of the sequel would be female. Giving the impression because of the new direction/timeline Deckard won't be returning.

Apparently Scott and Fancher had originally imagined Blade Runner as the first in a series of films. These movies would explore the characters and themes from Dick's short story Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Blade Runner's notoriously harsh production and the film's ultimate failure at the box office killed any hope of these sequels to be made. Luckily, the film found new life when it started airing on TV in the UK and North America along with booming home video sales which has made Blade Runner one the largest cult hits of all-time.

Nothing has been confirmed about the new film's setting or direction. It's possible that the sequel could explore the off-world colonies where replicants are essentially android slaves that are worked until they keel over from a premature death. Roy speaks of seeing attack ships in space as a soldier while Pris was a sex-slave until freed, so there are plenty of different aspects the off-world colonies that could be explored. My hope is that a full scale rebellion by the replicants and their human supporters is sparked. The Tyrell Corporation is responsible for the making the replicants while another company is involved with the colonies and settling them. The Dominguez-Shimata Corporation could very well be the focus of this film.

Screenwriter For New Blade Runner Film To Be Announced Soon

ThePlaylist while talking to producer Andrew Kosove about many his projects in development. The conversation moved towards the new Blade Runner movie which currently has Ridley Scott attached to direct. Ridley has given the impression in recent interviews that Runner could be one of this next films if everything comes together. Kosove mentions that they haven't decided whether it will be a prequel or sequel. Also, an announcement on the film's screenwriter will happen early in the new year.

Sometime in the first two months of the new year we'll announce who the screenwriter will be and whether or not it's a prequel or sequel. And then we'll be off to the races.

Here's the thing about Ridley. Ridley is a special guy. He's a force of nature. He's got a lot of stuff that he's working on. I believe it's an extremely high priority for Ridley, that's what he's said to me. This project is moving forward aggressively in development. 

 

Currently the director is finishing up post-production on Prometheus which recently had it's teaser trailer released this week (jaw-dropping awesome!). Apparently he's been bitten by the science fiction bug and wants to make more films in the genre. He has gone as far to say that if successful there could be sequels to Prometheus exploring that universe. Not to mention development on a film based on the novel Forever War.

Ridley could very well could expand the Blade Runner world similar to what he's doing with the Alien universe in Prometheus. A lot of avenues haven't been explored since we basically only saw a film noir set in a futuristic Los Angeles, off-world colonies and replicant rebellions sound too good not to focus on. That being said, Ridley has fingers in a lot of projects and could easily jump into something else.

Ridley Scott Talks New Blade Runner Film

While we are still desperately waiting on the first trailer for Ridley Scott's Prometheus which is expected to have DNA/connections to the Alien franchise. There is development on another iconic film that Ridley will be revisiting. Alcon Entertainment (Insomnia) nabbed the film rights to Blade Runner and were pursuing Scott to direct. Ridley officially joined the untitled Blade Runner film as it's director and producer. It's expected that Warner Bros. who made the original and have worked with Alcon in the past will distribute.

Ridley spoke briefly to Speakeasy (via Playlist) about the film. Scott is considering this project a sequel even though Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) will likely not be in it. He seems to have found a writer and gives the impression development is further along than we assumed.

 "liable to be a sequel.....I think I’m close to finding a writer that might be able to help me deliver. We’re quite a long way in, actually."

"Scott says the new “Blade Runner” project is moving ahead “not with the past cast, of course.” No Deckard? “No, not really,” he says."

Some possible writers could include Damon Lindelof (Lost, Star Trek, Star Trek 2) who recently worked with Scott on Prometheus adding massive re-writes to the original script. Another candidate could include Travis Wright (Eagle Eye) who was confirmed by SlashFilm as writing a Blade Runner sequel before Alcon/Ridley ever got involved. It will be interesting who ends up writing because we have no idea what angle they're aiming for. There has been talk of continuing the original dectective noir aspect also taking things into outer space focusing the replicant uprisings on off-world colonies.