"Blade Runner" retains one of the most feverishly faithful fan bases of any science fiction property out there, and that's almost 30 full years after the first and only feature film arrived in theaters.
But like the recent resurrection of the "Tron" series, a whole new group of fans are about to discover Ridley Scott's future-set tale.
Warner Bros. and Alcon Entertainment are in final negotiations to secure film, television and ancillary franchise rights to produce prequels and sequels to "Blade Runner," according to a press release. The deal would prohibit Alcon and WB from directly remaking the Harrison Ford-starring original, but stories that are "based on situations introduced in the original film" would fall within their wheelhouse.
"This is a major acquisition for our company, and a personal favorite film for both of us," Alcon co-founders Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove said in a joint statement. "We recognize the responsibility we have to do justice to the memory of the original with any prequel or sequel we produce. We have long-term goals for the franchise, and are exploring multi-platform concepts, not just limiting ourselves to one medium only."
In other words, count on "Blade Runner" overload — television, video games, social networking platforms, you name it. Feature film continuations of the "Blade Runner" universe are entirely possible, but not the only potential way forward.
That said, it's equally possible that nothing will come from this. "Blade Runner" sequels and prequels have tried to get off the ground numerous times in the years since Scott's 1981 classic, with screenwriters Travis Wright and John Glenn attached to the franchise as recently as 2005. This could be one of those instances where two years from now, we'll all be scratching our heads and wondering, "Hey, what about those planned 'Blade Runner' sequels and prequels? What happened there?"
Consider this an exploratory move. Without directors, actors, writers or other creative minds on board just yet, nothing is set in stone. Stamp this one with a big fat "we'll see."
Tell us what you think about the possibility of "Blade Runner" prequels and sequels in the comments section and on Twitter!
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