This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Production on the Blade Runner sequel is set to start next month and the missing piece from the already-loaded cast has finally been found: Jared Leto.Wait, oh god, oh no... Jared Leto?!
On Thursday, Alcon Entertainment announced the casting, with Leto set to join the likes of Harrison Ford, Ryan Gosling, Robin Wright, and the breakout star of Captain Phillips, Barkhad Abdi. "We are thrilled that Jared has agreed to play a key role in the Blade Runner sequel," producers Broderick Johnson and Andrew A. Kosove said in a statement. "He is a phenomenal actor, and we know he will create a truly memorable, never before seen character."
The news comes in the wake of Suicide Squad, which was lambasted by critics (SFist called it "a huge swirling vortex of trash") but stayed at the top of the box office. Leto said—at this year's edition of his adult sleepover called "Camp Mars"—that he felt "tricked" into appearing in Suicide Squad as the Joker.
Will Leto's character in Blade Runner be too raw and subversive for audiences to handle? Will Leto be sending his co-stars cryptic origami figures to get into the role? Perhaps, he'll have his personal assistant administer the Voight-Kampff test on him until he's able to pass it with flying colors. Whatever happens, you know that Harrison Ford is going to be so annoyed.
Few plot details have been revealed aside from the fact that Ford will be reprising his role as Deckard, and that the sequel will be set in Los Angeles a few decades after the 1982 original (which was set in 2019). Check out some of the renderings of this future Los Angeles. Sicario director Denis Villenueve is set to direct, and Hampton Fancher (who co-wrote the original) is set to do the screenplay with Michael Green. Ridley Scott, who directed the original, is an executive producer.
The movie is set for release on October 6, 2017.
