Alcon Entertainment All But Publicly Begs for Harrison Ford to Return for ‘Blade Runner’ Sequel

By  · Published on May 15th, 2014

Warner Bros.

This was sort of inevitable. Once Harrison Ford signed on to star in the next entry into the Star Wars franchise, we should have expected that it would open the floodgates for other productions to beg for their star to return for more ill-advised sequels (though we’re still not opposed to another Indiana Jones feature, so long as it ditches the aliens and bars the gates against Bradley Cooper). First up – Blade Runner.

We’ve known that Alcon Entertainment was hellbent on launching a sequel to the seminal 1982 feature since way back in 2011, when the production company announced its plans to make both prequels and sequels to the Ridley Scott-directed sci-fi classic, but this first film has been through so many fits and starts, we’d sort of hoped it would never happen. Despite having some elements to recommend it – like the return of original screenwriter Hampton Fancher — not much else of sounds that good. Even Scott, who is back to direct the new installment, isn’t exactly a selling point, as his output in the past few years (cough, Prometheus, cough) has been on the decline. But you know what could really make this thing sing? If we could get Ford to come back!

But, you guys, what if Harrison Ford is tired?

Deadline reports that Alcon Entertainment has made the, ahem, offbeat choice to make it public knowledge that they’ve offered Ford his original role as Rick Deckard in the new film. This is not a scooped report from a news outlet, this is not a rumor, this is not some chatter someone overheard in a Beverly Hills bathroom somewhere – Alcon Entertainment has released this information on their own, a press release that basically equates to them writing an open letter to Ford, asking him to join their film.

The strategy here is a bit hazy, but it doesn’t seem wild to assume that Alcon took notice of the attention both Ford and Star Wars: Episode VII garnered when Han Solo himself signed on for the next film. Now they want some of that goodwill for themselves. (Deadline’s own Anita Busch even calls both Ford’s Star Wars turn and this possible Blade Runner work “audience-pleasing,” which sounds so wildly off the mark in terms of what we actually want from the film – which is for it to not exist – that it’s hard to actually comprehend.)

To Ford’s credit, however, the actor has expressed interest in the reprising his role, but it is believed he has yet to even read the new script. Man, talk about jumping the gun, Alcon, send the guy the script first. (We, of course, assume that Ford has been sent the script, but considering how forward Alcon’s advances have been as of today, isn’t it fun to wonder if they somehow missed this important step?)

Have at it – do you want to see a Blade Runner sequel, with or without Ford?

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