Harrison Ford is no stranger to memory lane. Two years ago, the Hollywood veteran slipped into that iconic leather jacket for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and is poised to revisit another screen legend when Indiana Jones 5 gallops into theaters in 2019.
Between them, Indy and Han Solo are two of the most recognizable characters in the business, but there’s another, slightly more obscure figure that’s ready to make a comeback later this year. His name? Rick Deckard, lead character of Ridley Scott’s sci-fi classic and, soon, Blade Runner 2049.
It’s a sequel that has been kicking around in some shape or form for the better part of 30 years, so it’s no wonder Harrison Ford was a little apprehensive about signing along the dotted line. But as the actor revealed in a recent Q&A (via Screen Rant), the way in which Rick Deckard is woven into the story, coupled with his strong “emotional” arc, was enough to put any doubts to bed.
This isn’t the first time Ford has gushed about Blade Runner 2049, after discussing how the technology and AI of Denis Villeneuve’s haunting sequel raise many timely and ethical questions. But as the electrifying second trailer proved, Rick Deckard is set to feature heavily in 2049.
The character [Rick Deckard] is woven into the story in a way that intrigued me. There’s a very strong emotional context. The relationship between the character Deckard – that I play – and other characters is fascinating. I think it’s interesting to develop a character after a period of time – to revisit a character.
Blade Runner 2049 is pegged to hit theaters on October 6th and when it does, it’ll be steeped in the “same genre, same atmosphere” as its seminal predecessor. In fact, if Guardians 2 star Dave Bautista is to be believed, Denis Villeneuve’s long-in-development sequel will actually prove to be better than the first. A bold claim by anyone’s standards, and it’ll be fascinating to watch moviegoers react to a film 30 years in the making.