Ridley Scott to develop and direct new Blade Runner film

[link=http://www.darkhorizons.com/news/21531/more-on-the-blade-runner-follow-up]More on the Blade Runner follow-up[/link]

Yesterday's announcement of Ridley Scott returning to the world of "Blade Runner" which he created pretty much floored everyone with its unexpectedness. Now 24 Frames has done a feature piece explaining how Scott was brought back into the fold. In the process, they've revealed some new story details and a potential production schedule.

Alcon Entertainment landed the rights to the property earlier this year and were desperately keen on landing Scott for the film. Producers Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson had a sit down meeting with Scott in London earlier this year where "they hashed out how a new film would look, how it could avoid seeming too similar to the many movies that have since paid homage to the original, and how different the new film should be from the original itself. They eventually decided it should stand as separately as possible."

Scott struck a handshake deal with the pair, Kosove saying "I believe he sees an opportunity to create something that?s wholly original from the first 'Blade Runner.'" A few months later, after all the legals and contracts have been sorted out, here we are. Scott is now expected to meet with writers which he and the producers will have to agree on, a hiring that could happen as early as in the next few weeks.

It's expected the earliest that shooting could start is the beginning of 2013 which would mean a 2014 cinematic release at the earliest. Scott, who recently finished editing "Prometheus," could direct one of several other films in development before jumping back into the "Blade Runner" world.

Asked about the skepticism over the announcement, Kosove says "Everything Ridley does as a filmmaker is fresh? with Ridley coming back there's a greater level of comfort. And once we have the writer, I think fans will feel even more comfortable. We want people to know that we're very serious about doing this in an artistic way. This isn't just commercial fodder."

Kosove also says don't expect Harrison Ford or his Rick Deckard character to show up - "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."