The long-awaited sequel to Ridley Scott's Blade Runner will see the return of Harrison Ford, Alcon Entertainment confirmed today.

In an announcement from the production company's co-founders Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson, it was also confirmed French-Canadian director Denis Villeneuve is in negotiations to direct the upcoming film.

Villeneuve originally made a name for himself with his award winning films Maelstrom and Incendies, the latter of the two was nominated for an Oscar. however, he's likely best known to American audiences for his work on the 2013 thriller Prisoners featuring Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhall.

"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 studio owners in a statement.

The sequel is being written by Hampton Fancher and Michael Green. Fancher co-wrote the original Blade Runner, while Green is also currently signed on as screenwriter for Prometheus 2. The film will be based on an idea by Fancher and Ridley Scott.

While little is known about the film so far, the sequel is said to take place several decades after the 1982 original film. Shooting is scheduled to take place in the U.S. in Summer 2016.