Harrison Ford & Ryan Gosling 'Blade Runner' Sequel Gets Early 2018 Release Date

After years of discussion, the Blade Runner sequel is finally a go and there's even an official release date! Harrison Ford will be back on the big screen reprising his role as Rick Deckard from the Ridley Scott classic from the '80s, this time joined by Oscar-nominated megastar Ryan Gosling, as the two will be directed by Denis Villeneuve.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Warner Bros. has already released the first official bit of information regarding the still-untitled sequel: its domestic release date. Fans of science fiction, mark your calendars: Blade Runner 2 is coming to theaters all over the country on Jan. 12, 2018, opening the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday weekend.

So far, the box office road of the movie is pretty easy, as the only other big release for that date is Sherlock Gnomes. Considering this film is the follow-up to one of the considered classics of the genre (as well as among Ford's biggest roles), chances are the better part of the weekend goes to Runner.

As Deadline reports, the screenplay for the sequel was written by Michael Green and Hampton Fancher, who co-wrote the 1982 film, and it's based on a story Fancher and original director Scott wrote.

Principal photography for the sequel is set to begin next July.

So far, little is known about the upcoming film, other than the fact that Ford will be reprising his original role, though the lead character will be Gosling's. Scott will be producing the upcoming movie and he's certainly involved in the project, but these days he's far more occupied in coming back to another one of his classic franchises, as he preps up for the Prometheus sequel, Alien: Covenant.

Ford is also getting back to his science fiction/fantasy roots these days. Just last year, he reprised his role of Han Solo in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, his grand return to the franchise since 1983's Return of the Jedi. There are also persistent rumors about him donning a fedora once more for a fifth Indiana Jones installment.