The Blade Runner sequel feels like it has been long decades in the making, but now that it is actually happening, progress is happening much faster. Most recently, the cast of the Denis Villeneuve-directed film has grown by two: David Dastmalchian and Hiam Abbass are slated to join, reports Variety.
Dastmalchian has starred in such high-profile films as 2008’s The Dark Knight and Marvel’s 2015 hit Ant-Man. He also previously worked with Villeneuve, playing Bob Taylor in the 2013 thriller Prisoners. The film featured a talented cast, including Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis, and more. Dastmalchian has appeared on TV series over the years as well, such as FX’s The League, Showtime’s Ray Donovan, and the BBC’s Intruders.
Abbass has a long list of credits to her name, including numerous foreign films. The Israeli Arab actress has notably starred in Steven Spielberg’s historical drama and political thriller Munich, as well as The Visitor, Lemon Tree, and others. She and Dastmalchian join a cast that includes Harrison Ford, Ryan Gosling, Robin Wright, Ana de Armas, Barkha Abdi, Dave Bautista, Sylvia Hoeks, Carla Juri, and Mackenzie Davis.
The film will pick up decades after the events of the 1982 original. Ford will return as Rick Deckard, his ex-law enforcement agent character who hunted down replicants. Plot details are being kept under wraps, but we do know that the film is written by Hampton Fancher and Michael Green. Fancher previously collaborated with David Peoples on Blade Runner, which is based on a classic 1968 novel by Philip K. Dick titled Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
The sequel is produced by Alcon Entertainment. Original director Ridley Scott is executive producing, along with Bill Carraro, Frank Giustra, and Tim Gamble. The Blade Runner sequel is set for release on October 6, 2017, finally putting an end to fans’ years of waiting.
