Director Ridley Scott sat down with Yahoo Movies to discuss his newest film, The Martian, and the subject segued to the upcoming Blade Runner sequel when he was discussing his likeness of dark endings:
“I paid the price for 27 years [with Blade Runner]. Now we’re making number two, because apparently now it’s a work of art. Pffff.”I paid the price for 27 years. Now we’re making number two, because apparently now it’s a work of art. Pffff.
When he asked about multiple sequels to the film, he had this to say:
“Listen: Everyone else is, so why not? I love to work. The French say, “Work to live,” and I live to work. I’m very lucky to have a job that I adore. All my kids do the same thing. Some of it’s trying, but it’s like being in professional sport. It’s so competitive [that] you better keep bouncing the ball. You can’t rest.”
He confirmed that the franchise will be handed over to Ryan Gosling, but had this to say about bringing Harrison Ford back:
“…I got Harrison back. Because Harrison said, “Meh,” and I said, “No, read this.” And I think he said, “This is the best script I’ve ever had.” We’ve been working on it for a couple of years.”
Ford has been vocal about the fact that he doesn’t think Dekkar was a replicant, but this is what Scott had to say about that:
“Of course he’s a bloody Replicant! He’s going to have to admit it.”
Now, as it’s been over thirty years since the first film came out, that might send up a red flag, as replicants are supposed to die after four years. Scott’s got that covered:
“You’ll have to see the story. It’ll all make sense.”
The director goes on the say that the film will take place approximately thirty years after the first one, placing it around 2047. Now, Blade Runner is considered by many to be one of the greatest science fiction films ever made, and its production design is still the gold standard for the genre, so it will be interesting to see if that can be matched by the sequel.