The Blade Runner sequel will star Ryan Gosling

By Rick Marshall April 17, 2015

Ryan Gosling — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The sequel to Blade Runner continues to move forward, and now it may have found its leading man.

Drive actor Ryan Gosling is in final negotiations to star in the follow-up to Ridley Scott’s groundbreaking 1982 science fiction film, alongside Harrison Ford, the star of the original film. The movie’s producers announced Gosling’s attachment to the project this week, and indicated that cameras are expected to begin rolling in 2016.

Directed by Denis Villeneuve (Prisoners), the sequel is set several decades after the original, which cast Ford as a Rick Deckard, a resourceful government agent tasked with finding and eliminating wayward “replicants” — intelligent androids that look and act like humans. As he pursues a group of replicants who traveled to Earth after hijacking a spaceship, his mission calls into question the true definition of humanity and what separates the androids from the people around him. The nature of Gosling’s role in the sequel remains unknown, and few details about the film’s plot have been revealed at this point.

Originally expected to bring Scott back as director, the sequel is said to be based on an idea conceived by Scott and original Blade Runner co-writer Hampton Fancher. The script for the sequel was penned by Fancher and Green Lantern screenwriter Michael Green.

And while we’re tracing origins, the first Blade Runner was inspired by sci-fi novelist Philip K. Dick’s 1968 novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? That film was nominated for two Academy Awards (for Art Direction & Set Decoration, and for Visual Effects), and was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 1993. The film is widely regarded as one of the greatest science-fiction films ever made.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

A veteran journalist with more than two decades of experience covering local and national news, arts and entertainment, and…

Entertainment

From Logan to The Last Jedi: 2017 was the best year for sci-fi sequels

Hugh Jackman as Logan in forest in Logan.

Good sequels are rare. It's never easy to recreate the original brew that alchemized into a great movie. For a given year to produce even two great sequels is exceptional, which is why 2017 was annus mirabilis for these follow-ups. 2017 produced five sequels in the same genre -- sci-fi action -- that were all as good or better than anything else in their respective franchises.

Their initial success, as well as their staying power, is due to several common factors, including visionary filmmaking, inspired special effects, and committed performances by famous actors who weren't afraid to appear old or weak as their characters wrestled with declining powers. But, more than anything, their collective triumph boils down to one shared approach. They were all bold departures -- narratively, thematically, stylistically, aesthetically -- from typical entries in the franchises that spawned them.
Logan (March 3)

Entertainment

Amazon is developing a Blade Runner 2099 series

A scene from Blade Runner.

Forty years ago, director Ridley Scott's Blade Runner movie redefined sci-fi with its vision of the future. Now, Scott is moving the franchise even further down the timeline. Deadline is reporting that a Blade Runner 2099 series is in development at Amazon Prime Video. Scott had previously said that a pilot script had already been written, and he remains attached as an executive producer. Additionally, there is a possibility that Scott may direct the show if it gets picked up.

According to Deadline, Prime Video is fast-tracking the potential series, which already has Silka Luisa (AppleTV+'s Shining Girls) as the showrunner, writer, and executive producer. Blade Runner 2099 is being produced by Amazon Studios, Scott Free Productions, and Alcon Entertainment, the production company behind Prime Video's The Expanse. Prime Video is reportedly already looking at production start dates and scripts.

Entertainment

Netflix to shoot pair of Red Notice sequels back-to-back

Ryan Reynolds, Dwayne Johnson, and Gal Gadot in Red Notice.

Last year, Netflix made a big splash when it picked up Red Notice from Universal Pictures, and the film went on to become one of the most popular movies on the streaming platform. That was largely due to the incredible star power of Dwayne Johnson, Gal Gadot, and Ryan Reynolds in the leading roles. Now, Deadline is reporting that Johnson, Gadot, and Reynolds are all expected to return for Red Notice 2 and Red Notice 3. Additionally, Netflix has ambitious plans to shoot both sequels back-to-back.

While the plan is to begin filming next year, that isn't yet set in stone. Johnson, Gadot, and Reynolds have extremely busy schedules, and it will be a challenge to line all three of them up again. That's one of the reasons why the sequels are also reportedly expanding the cast beyond the core trio. Deadline's report compares Red Notice's expanded roster of characters to the Ocean's Eleven films, which featured an all-star cast. Director and screenwriter Rawson Marshall Thurber is also slated to return, and he has reportedly also begun writing the sequels.