For a filmmaker of 76 years of age, Ridley Scott is showing no signs of slowing down. He just shot Prometheus, The Counselor, and this December’s Biblical epic Exodus: Gods and Kings in quick succession, and while he’s prepping the sci-fi thriller The Martian to start production early next year, he’s also still talking about sequels to Prometheus and Blade Runner. It’s the latter that he addresses today, revealing that while he won’t be directing Blade Runner 2, it is poised to begin production next year. That’s somewhat surprising news given that we haven’t heard anything about a replacement director being set, but Scott now says he’ll only be involved in the picture as a producer. However, he also let slip how Harrison Ford fits into the film’s story. More after the jump.

In a lengthy profile in Variety, it’s mentioned that Scott already knows what he’ll be shooting after The Martian, but it won’t be Blade Runner 2:

“[Screenwriter Hampton Fancher and I] talked at length about what it could be, and came up with a pretty strong three-act storyline, and it all makes sense in terms of how it relates to the first one.”

Scott says the film should start production within the next year with someone else directing, and he also revealed that Ford’s involvement in the picture will be significant yet minimal:

“Harrison is very much part of this one, but really it’s about finding him; he comes in in the third act.”

That’s certainly a smart way of bringing Deckard back while also making the shooting schedule agreeable to Ford’s interest level (he and Scott famously butted heads over whether or not Deckard is in fact a replicant).

Though Scott seems confident that production on Blade Runner 2 will start filming in 2015, the project is still in development so depending on how quickly they find a director, that target may or may not be hit. I remain skeptical that a Blade Runner sequel is necessary and without Scott’s involvement as a director I’m much less interested in the project, but I’ll admit I’m curious to see what kind of story the director and Fancher have put together.