Ridley Scott says Blade Runner 2049 will reveal whether or not Deckard is a replicant

Ridley Scott promises the long-delayed sequel to his sci-fi classic ‘Blade Runner’ will definitively address the big question that the 1982 original left unanswered.

Based on Philip K Dick’s novel ‘Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep,’ the original ‘Blade Runner’ cast Harrison Ford as Deckard, a cop in the dystopian future of 2019 (hey, we’re not far off) whose job is to hunt down rogue replicants, i.e. artificial humans. However, it has long been noted that the film appears to suggest that Deckard, without knowing it, is in fact a replicant himself.

79-year old Scott eschewed directorial duties on ‘Blade Runner 2049’ (being too busy with the recent ‘Alien: Covenant’), allowing ‘Arrival’ director Denis Villeneuve to take over. However, Scott remains closely involved in the project as an executive producer.

Intriguingly, the matter remains a source of debate not only among fans, but among the makers of ‘Blade Runner’ themselves, with Scott insisting Deckard is indeed a replicant, but Ford and screenwriter Hampton Fancher disagreeing.

Scott tells IGN, “it was always my thesis theory. It was one or two people who were relevant were… I can’t remember if Hampton agreed with me or not. But I remember someone had said, ‘Well, isn’t it corny?’ I said, ‘Listen, I’ll be the best f***ing judge of that. I’m the director, okay?’…

“Harrison, he was never – I don’t remember, actually. I think Harrison was going, ‘Uh, I don’t know about that.’ I said, ‘But you have to be, because Gaff, who leaves a trail of origami everywhere, will leave you a little piece of origami at the end of the movie to say, ‘I’ve been here, I left her alive, and I can’t resist letting you know what’s in your most private thoughts when you get drunk is a f#@king unicorn!’’ Right? So, I love Beavis and Butthead, so what should follow that is ‘Duh.’

“So now it will be revealed [in the sequel], one way or the other.”

It may be worth noting that Gaff, played by Edward James Olmos, is the only other actor from the original ‘Blade Runner’ besides Ford confirmed to return in ‘Blade Runner 2049.’

New cast members include Ryan Gosling, Robin Wright and Jared Leto.

‘Blade Runner 2049’ is due to open on UK screens on 6 October.

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