Speculation concerning Ridley Scott's planned return to the world of Blade Runner heated up earlier this week, when (now debunked) new reports emerged, claiming that Harrison Ford is in talks for the film. False though it may have been, that story still calls attention to just how little concrete information has been released about the sci-fi project in general - not to mention, where it's at, in terms of pre-production.

According to Scott, there's a good reason for all the confusion about whether this film is going to be a prequel, a sequel, a reboot, or a spinoff that stars (or doesn't feature) Ford as Rick Deckard. The answer is simple: not even he is sure what this Blade Runner-based feature is ultimately going to be.

Scott sat down with EW to discuss his next film (the Alien-verse set Prometheus) when he offered the following update on his Blade Runner project:

"We’re still in discussions about whether it should be a prequel or sequel. It’s an interesting conversation. I’m meeting with writers and I’ve also gone back to [original 'Blade Runner' screenwriter] Hampton Fancher and he still speaks the speak. He’s right there. I spoke with him this week. But we don’t even have a script yet."

The filmmaker also had the following to say, with regards to whether he would absolutely rule out the possibility of Ford reprising his turn as replicant hunter Deckard in the new Blade Runner film (ie. something his fellow producers Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove have essentially already done):

"Absolutely not. But I’m not sure that that’s going to be a story point, so I don’t know. But if it were, nothing would please me more. Honestly... I don't know [if the Deckard character will even show up in the film]."

So, there you have it - not only is this new chapter in the Blade Runner series just barely beginning to take solid form, it's so early on in development that not even the mind behind this whole endeavor knows exactly where he's going right now. Best then to just hold off on anything but preliminary discussions about how this project will - or won't - expand on the mythos of the first Blade Runner, shed light on Deckard's being (or NOT being) a replicant, etc.

In the EW interview, Scott also admits that his mind is not even made up yet, as to whether or not he'll for sure be making a second journey through the Blade Runner universe next. Not only does Prometheus 2 remain an option for his next directorial effort, but Scott's being attached to helm films like a Gertrude Bell biopic, Cormac McCarthy's The Counselor, and Child 44 make it painfully clear: the filmmaker's future plans are also very much in flux right now.

We will nonetheless strive to keep you up-to-date on the status of Scott's new Blade Runner flick, as the story develops.

Source: Entertainment Weekly

"Blade Runner" header image by "~Harrad93"