Denis Villeneuve (Prisoners, Incendies) is in negotiations to direct the Blade Runner sequel for Alcon Entertainment, while Harrison Ford is set to return as Rick Deckard.

The announcement was made today by Alcon co-founders Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson.“We are honored that Harrison is joining us on this journey with Denis Villeneuve, who is a singular talent, as we experienced personally on Prisoners" said the pair in a statement.The sequel, written by Hampton Fancher (who co-wrote the original) and Michael Green (who is also signed on for Prometheus 2 screenwriting duties) will be based on an idea by Fancher and original Blade Runner director Ridely Scott. Blade Runner 2's story will take place "several decades" after the 1982 original. Shooting is set to begin in the US Summer, 2016.Villeneuve is a French Canadian director, best known to American audiences for his work on the 2013 thriller Prisoners. He was nominated for a Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award in 2011 for his drama flick Incendies.

Lucy O'Brien is Entertainment Editor at IGN AU. Follow her ramblings on Twitter.