Denis Villeneuve is in negotiations to direct the sequel to Blade Runner, with Harrison Ford previously asked but now confirmed to be reprising his role as Rick Deckard. Ridley Scott, who directed the iconic 1982 sci-fi pic for Warner Bros, is aboard to executive produce for Alcon Entertainment.

The film is scheduled to start principal photography in summer 2016. Hampton Fancher — who co-wrote the original with David Peoples — and Michael Green have written the original screenplay based on an idea by Fancher and Scott. The story takes place several decades after the conclusion of the 1982 film, which was based on the Philip K. Dick novel Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?

Alcon acquired most franchise rights to Blade Runner in 2011 from producer Bud Yorkin to produce prequels and sequels. Scott said in an MTV News interview over the winter that Ford was keen on the script but didn’t go so far as confirming the actor’s return to the role of a retired cop in a futuristic Los Angeles (it was 2019). There were faint rumors that Scott would direct, but now Alcon’s Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson have tapped Villeneuve, who gained cred with Alcon helming its taut 2013 drama Prisoners starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Hugh Jackman and who just wrapped the Mexican cartel drama Sicario with Benicio Del Toro, Emily Blunt and Josh Brolin.

“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,” Kosove and Johnson said. “Hampton and Michael, with Ridley Scott, have crafted a uniquely potent and faithful sequel to one of the most universally celebrated films of all time, and we couldn’t be more thrilled with this amazing, creative team.”

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Yorkin will serve as a producer on the Blade Runner sequel along with Kosove and Johnson. Cynthia Sikes Yorkin will produce. Frank Giustra and Tim Gamble, CEO’s of Thunderbird Films, will serve as executive producers.

Fancher is repped by APA.