The mere idea of a sequel to Ridley Scott's BLADE RUNNER should have me rolling my eyes so hard that I'm dreaming of unicorns, but Warner Bros. has seemingly done everything they can to get me on-board with the project, and get me on-board they have; Harrison Ford returning as Rick Deckard alongside a new cast which includes Ryan Gosling, Robin Wright, Dave Bautista, and to top it of, they've secured the talents of Denis Villeneuve (SICARIO) to direct the sequel with the great Roger Deakins (SKYFALL) serving as cinematographer. What's not to like?
With production on the BLADE RUNNER sequel set to get underway this July, the project has continued to gather up its cast and today it has been announced that Ana de Armas has joined the film in a leading role, which is of course being kept under wraps. Alcon Entertainment's Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove said "we think Ana is one of the most exciting, up-and-coming international actors in the world today, and we are thrilled she will be playing such an important part in this sequel." BLADE RUNNER 2 is set for a October 6, 2017 release.
Ana de Armas is still a relatively unknown actress in North America, appearing recently in Eli Roth's KNOCK, KNOCK alongside Keanu Reeves, but with gigs like the BLADE RUNNER sequel in her future, I'd imagine that we'll be seeing much more of her. The young actress will also be seen in the Robert De Niro and Edgar Ramirez boxing biopic HANDS OF STONE on August 26, 2016, as well as Todd Phillips' WAR DOGS alongside Jonah Hill and Miles Teller on August 19, 2016.