Alcon Entertainment recently announced a 06 October, 2017 release date for its sequel to the 1982 sci-fi classic, Blade Runner.
Harrison Ford has been signed to reprise his role as Rick Deckard. Several other big names are also on board. Ridley Scott is also coming back, but as executive producer this time. Filming is set to begin this this summer.
The original movie was based on the Philip K. Dick novel, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? It was dark. It was gritty. It was futuristic, yet familiar. It was awesome. It was also a film classic that went on to eclipse the book upon which it was based.
Ironically, the sequel's release date is just two years shy of the 2019 setting of the original movie.
I love the feel of the original. Like I said above, it was futuristic, but so familiar that it was easy to imagine your self in that world, at least for a time. Will the sequel stay true to the best qualities of the original, or will it go the way of Ghostbusters II? That's the real question: Is this a true sequel, or is it an original project with the Blade Runner stamp slapped on it to take advantage of an existing fan base? Let's hope not. But if they start calling it a 'reboot' of the original, then we have our sad, sad answer.
On the other hand, this could be a worthy return to the gravely, greasy, shady world of the 1982 classic. I sure hope so.
I want to get excited about this one, but we've been burned before. I'll buy my ticket either way.
What do you think?
