Ridley Scott to Direct New Blade Runner Movie

After jumping back into the Alien universe with Prometheus, it looks like Ridley Scott is going to revisit his other groundbreaking sci-fi for a new installment. Back in March, Alcon Entertainment (“The Blind Side,” “The Book of Eli”) had announced that they were securing film and TV rights to produce prequels and sequels to Blade Runner.

Alcon mentioned that Ridley Scott's involvement was always something they were interested in, but thy have issued a press release, announcing that he has officially signed on to direct and produce a new Blade Runner film. Details are slim at the moment, so it is unknown whether this project will be a prequel or sequel at this time.

Ridley Scott is currently wrapping up work on Prometheus, which is scheduled to be released on June 8, 2012. While he is producing a number of upcoming projects, he has not committed to directing any other films, so it is very possible that he will get to work almost immediately after Prometheus is completed.

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.

State Kosove and Johnson: “It would be a gross understatement to say that we are elated Ridley Scott will shepherd this iconic story into a new, exciting direction. We are huge fans of Ridley’s and of the original ‘Blade Runner.’ This is once in a lifetime project for us.”

Scott is represented by David Wirtschafter at WME and David Nochinson at Ziffren Brittenham.

Released by Warner Bros. almost 30 years ago, “Blade Runner” was adapted by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples from Philip K. Dick’s groundbreaking novel “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” and directed by Scott following his landmark “Alien.” The film was nominated for two Academy Awards (Best Visual Effects, and Best Art Direction). Following the filming of “Blade Runner,” the first of Philip K. Dick’s works to be adapted into a film, many other of Dick’s works were likewise adapted, including “Total Recall,” “A Scanner Darkly,” “Minority Report,” “Paycheck,” and the recent “The Adjustment Bureau,” among others.