Based on what we've seen so far, Ridley Scott may have actually pulled off the impossible task of revisiting one of his earliest hits with Prometheus, a movie with vague ties to Alien that at least takes place within the same universe. But rather than quit while he's ahead, Scott is rolling the dice again and revisiting perhaps his best film, with plans to write and direct a new Blade Runner film. The movie is set with financing and Scott is attached to make it happen, but last we heard from the film's producer Andrew Kosove, he promised it wouldn't just be a lame Blade Runner retread, but a "total reinvention." He even said Harrison Ford and his Deckard character wouldn't be back at all.
It's still very possible that the film, which is set to start production next year, will be just that. But Twitch Film has heard from their own sources that Ford "has entered early talks" to join the film. They're not explaining what that means, and they hedge their bets by noting that things could fall apart and anything could change. And honestly, it's a little mystifying to hear this news after Kosove said with such certainty that Ford wouldn't be involved-- especially given how unwilling Ford is to do just about anything these days. Why did they go back and try to get him back in, and why did Ford agree? And if they really are trying to tell a whole new Blade Runner story, what can they gain creatively by bringing Deckard back?
The financial motives are clear-- Ford is still a big star and the face of the Blade Runner franchise, and that goes a long way toward box office dollars. But if Prometheus is a success by telling a story in the Alien universe without Ripley, why wouldn't Scott want to do the same for Blade Runner? I'm taking this news with a big grain of salt right now, with both faith in Scott and a blind, maybe naive hope that this turns out OK.
