Ridley Scott to Direct New 'Blade Runner' Movie

Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection

"Blade Runner"

Ridley Scott is returning to the futuristic world of Blade Runner, his iconic 1982 film, for a new feature for Warners-based Alcon Entertainment.

Adapted from Philip K. Dick’s story Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?,” Scott’s original film -- with its mix of rainy, neon-lit exteriors,  its human-like androids call replicants, and its shadowy, controlling corporation --  established a template for dystopian views of the future. In 2007, it was named the second most visually influential film of all time by the Visual Effects Society.

While the new movie is being described as a “follow-up” to the first film, the filmmakers have not yet disclosed whether it will function as a prequel or a sequel to the original. One thing it won't be, though, is a re-make, Alcon co-head Andrew Kosove said. "We very fortunate that Ridley Scott has decided to come back to one of his seminal movies," he added. "And with Ridley, I can tell you it will be fresh and original."

With no screenplay in place at the moment, the producers are currently meeting with writers. Kosove declined to say what direction the project would go it, but did say he didn't expect Harrison Ford, who starred in the original movie as a retired cop who hunts down replicants, to be involved.

Alcon, the financing and production company behind movies like The Blind Side and The Book of Eli, recently partnered with producer Bud Yorkin to produce new Blade Runner films as well as TV and interactive productions based on the property. Alcon hasn't decided yet if it will finance the entire production itself or whether it will bring in partners like Warners, through which it will release the movie.

Alcon co-founders and co-CEOs Broderick Johnson and Kosove will produce the new film with Yorkin, Cynthia Sikes Yorkin and Scott.  Frank Giustra and Tim Gamble, CEOs of Thunderbird Films, will serve as executive producers.

Scott, repped by WME and Ziffren Brittenham, is currently completing another sci-fi feature Prometheus, which has connections to his 1979 movie Alien, and which will be released by Fox on June 8, 2012.