Prometheus may be dominating the news lately, but don't forget that Ridley Scott is on board to direct a sequel to Blade Runner. According to a new report, Blade Runner screenwriter Hampton Fancher is in talks to re-join Scott for the sequel.

When Alcon first announced a new Blade Runner project, it hadn't been decided whether it would be a sequel or prequel. Now, it is being officially referred to as a sequel which will take place "some years" after the first film. Alcon has said that Scott and Fancher intended Blade Runner to be the first in a series of films, so we're curious about how many of the original story ideas will make it into the final product.

Unfortunately, that's all we know at this point. We're not even sure when this project would go into production, because Ridley Scott is already working on The Counselor with Michael Fassbender, and it seems like he has a real interest in directing a sequel to Prometheus.

**Update: Ridley Scott revealed in a recent interview that the Blade Runner sequel will feature a female actress in the lead role: "...We have a very good take on it. And we’ll definitely be featuring a female protagonist."

For those who missed the news from last year, here is the press release announcing Ridley Scott's involvement in a new Blade Runner project:

"ALCON ENTERTAINMENT PARTNERING WITH RIDLEY SCOTT TO DIRECT AND PRODUCE NEW ‘BLADE RUNNER’ FOLLOW UP. BUD YORKIN AND CYNTHIA SIKES YORKIN ALSO TO PRODUCE.

LOS ANGELES, CA, AUGUST 18, 2011—Three-time Oscar-nominated director Ridley Scott is set to helm a follow up to his own ground-breaking 1982 science fiction classic “Blade Runner” for Warner Bros-based financing and production company Alcon Entertainment (“The Blind Side,” “The Book of Eli”).

Alcon co-founders and co-Chief Executive Officers Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove will produce with Bud Yorkin and Cynthia Sikes Yorkin, along with Ridley Scott. Frank Giustra and Tim Gamble, CEO’s of Thunderbird Films, will serve as executive producers.

The filmmakers have not yet revealed whether the theatrical project will be a prequel or sequel to the renowned original.

Alcon and Yorkin recently announced that they are partnering to produce “Blade Runner” theatrical sequels and prequels, in addition to all television and interactive productions.

The original film, which has been singled out as the greatest science-fiction film of all time by a majority of genre publications, was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” The film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry in 1993 and is frequently taught in university courses. In 2007, it was named the 2nd most visually influential film of all time by the Visual Effects Society."

Source: Deadline