Following the announcement last week that Ana de Armas (Knock Knock) was added to the cast of the Blade Runner sequel, it's now been revealed that Dutch actress Sylvia Hoeks (The Girl and Death, Overspel, The Best Offer) has joined the film's ranks in a leading role:
Press Release: Dutch actress Sylvia Hoeks has been tapped for a leading role alongside Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Robin Wright, Ana de Armas and Dave Bautista in Alcon Entertainment's sequel to Ridley Scott's 1982 masterpiece BLADE RUNNER, it was announced by Alcon co-founders and co-CEO's Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson.
Denis Villeneuve (Sicario, Prisoners) is directing. Principal photography is scheduled to begin July 2016. The film will be released by Warner Bros. in North America and Sony Pictures Releasing International will distribute in all media for all overseas territories.
Netherlands-born film, stage and television actress Hoeks has starred in numerous Dutch and European television series and films, including the title role in the award winning Tirza, a local box office hit directed by Rudolf van den Berg, which was the official Dutch entry for Best Foreign Language film in 2010. Hoeks has been nominated for and/or won several acting awards for leading and supporting roles, including in such films as Het Meisje en de Dood, Tirza,Duska, and the box office hit The Storm, among others.
Hoeks attended the prestigious Maastricht Theatre Academy in Holland. After graduation, she made her national breakthrough with the Jos Stelling film Duska(2007), for which she won a Golden Calf (the Dutch equivalent of the Oscars) at the annual Dutch Film Festival. She quickly became in-demand for both stage and screen directors and stars in prestigious Dutch TV series like Overspel and Bloedverwanten.
In 2013 Hoeks starred in The Best Offer, alongside Geoffrey Rush and directed by award-winning Italian director Giuseppe Tornatore (Cinema Paradiso). The film was a box office hit in several European countries and was nominated for Best Film at the European Film Awards.
States Johnson and Kosove: "Sylvia is a radiant talent, a tremendous actress with great appeal in a wide variety of roles. Her addition to this vastly accomplished international cast is a perfect fit."
The sequel is set several decades after the 1982 original, with Harrison Ford reprising his iconic role as Rick Deckard. The film is written by Hampton Fancher and Michael Green, and succeeds the initial story by Fancher and David Peoples based on Philip K. Dick's novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep.Story details are not being revealed.
Multi-Oscar nominated cinematographer Roger Deakins (Sicario, Prisoners) will reunite with Villeneuve on the project.
Alcon Entertainment acquired the film, television and ancillary franchise rights to BLADE RUNNER in 2011 from the late producer Bud Yorkin and Cynthia Sikes Yorkin to produce prequels and sequels to the iconic science-fiction thriller. Cynthia Sikes Yorkin will produce along with Johnson and Kosove. Bud Yorkin will receive producer credit.
Frank Giustra and Tim Gamble, CEO's of Thunderbird Films, will serve as executive producers. Ridley Scott will also executive produce. Bill Carraro will executive produce.
Hoeks is represented by ICM Partners, Willemijn Tuip/Copper en Co and Cheryl Snow at Gang Tyre Ramer and Brown.