They say there’s no rest for the wicked, and that’s certainly the case with the Joker – or rather, Jared Leto – who despite still being involved with the no doubt exhausting promotional activities for Suicide Squad, has just been confirmed as the final main cast member of the upcoming Blade Runner sequel.
While there’s no word on exactly who he will be playing (like everyone else in the cast, Harrison Ford aside), it does seem that his presence is a vital one, with Alcon Entertainment saying that he’ll play a “key role,” as a “memorable, never before seen character.” Well, he’s certainly unforgettable, that’s for sure.
In fairness, it’s nice to see him land another big role. With his Best Supporting Actor win for Dallas Buyers Club still a recent memory, it was disappointing to see him underserved on the screentime front in Suicide Squad (even if this definitely isn’t the last we’ve seen of him as the Clown Prince of Crime), and Blade Runner 2 will undoubtedly provide another platform for him. He might want to tone it down on the ‘method’ front behind the scenes though: we’re not sure how well that would go down with Ford. In fact, we actively fear for him if he tries it.
Leto joins a cast that so far includes Harrison Ford, Ryan Gosling, Robin Wright, Ana de Armas, Dave Bautista, Mackenzie Davis, Barkhad Abdi, Lennie James, Carla Juri, Sylvia Hoeks, David Dastmalchian and Hiam Abbass. Denis Villeneuve (Incendies, Enemy, Prisoners, Sicario) is directing from a script penned by Hampton Fancher and Michael Green, with original director Ridley Scott on producing duties.
The untitled Blade Runner sequel will be released in cinemas on 6 October 2017. Read our exclusive interview with Ryan Gosling here. For all the latest movie news, pick up the new issue of SciFiNow.
