People may not have been expecting it, but the long-gestating sequel to the hit sci-fi movie Blade Runner is finally underway. Aside from the creative team charged with bringing the film to life, there's still a ton we don't know about the film. Harrison Ford will be reprising his role as Replicant hunter Deckard, and a recent statement from co-star Ryan Gosling has us worried that Deckard might not be in that much of the film.
While doing press for his Oscar front-runner La La Land, Ryan Gosling was asked by Fandango about his foray into heavy-duty science fiction with Blade Runner 2049, and his experience working with Harrison Ford. While he had nothing but nice things to say about Ford, he also revealed that they had been filming for several months before Ford came on set.
I can say that we shot for many months before Harrison [Ford] arrived, and obviously there was a lot of anticipation as to when he would show up and how that would be, and it was just a relief. The second he got to set, he just rolled up his sleeves and we all just got to work. It was a real great pleasure to get to work with him.
For all we know, Harrison Ford may have filmed for several months afterward, but it's still surprising to learn that he wasn't around for so long. Ford's involvement in the sequel was one of the first things announced about the project, so it was assumed that he would have a major role. Now, he could have more a Luke Skywalker via The Force Awakens type of role, where he's an important figure in the background. Or he could just not be in a chunk of the movie for awhile. Regardless, maybe fans shouldn't expect a full on partnership between Ford and Gosling's characters.
Not much is known about Blade Runner 2049, but it has been confirmed by director Denis Villeneuve that we won't learn whether Deckard is a Replicant or not. That would have to mean that his status isn't vital to the movie, but I doubt that that will keep fans of the infamous paper unicorn scene from looking for any hint they can find.
Though plot details are still sketchy, fans can at least rest assured that Blade Runner 2049 has an amazing creative team behind it. Led by Denis Villeneuve (Arrival, Sicario) with a script penned by Michael Green (Logan, Alien: Covenant) and Hampton Fancher (who wrote the original Blade Runner), the film stars Mackenzie Davis, Jared Leto, Dave Bautista, Robin Wright, Carla Juri, Barkhad Abdi, and, of course, Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford. The film is currently scheduled for a release date of October 6, 2017.
