All eyes are on Ridley Scott’s pseudo Alien follow-up Prometheus this summer, but the director is also working on revisiting another one of his sci-fi classics. Last August it was announced that Scott would be directing a new Blade Runner movie. He’s been developing the film—now confirmed to be a sequel—while putting the finishing touches on Prometheus, and now it’s been announced that Scott is bringing an old friend into the fray. Hampton Fancher, who wrote the original Blade Runner, is in talks to develop and write a sequel to their groundbreaking 1982 film. Hit the jump for more.

No details are given plot-wise other than the fact that this new film will take place “some years after the first film concluded.” The press release mentions that Fancher and Scott initially intended Blade Runner to be the first in a series of films incorporating the themes and characters found in Philip K. Dick’s novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, but circumstances kept further films from coming to fruition. I haven’t read Dick’s novel, so I don’t know what characters or themes this could be in reference too, but I’m beyond thrilled to see Scott taking such an interest in sci-fi as of late.

Scott himself confirmed that Harrison Ford won’t be returning for the sequel, and in a best-case scenario filming wouldn’t begin any sooner than 2013. The director is next set to direct the Cormac McCarthy-scripted drama The Counselor, which begins production next month. Scott is also said to be keen on a sequel to Prometheus should that film do well this summer, so I’m guessing if Prometheus takes off he’ll make that follow-up his post-Counselor film while he and Fancher continue to develop the script for this Blade Runner sequel. Nevertheless, exciting stuff is afoot.

Read the press release below: