Ryan Gosling Impresses Director Denis Villeneuve With His Performance In ‘Blade Runner’ Sequel

Denis Villeneuve has admitted that directing the upcoming “Blade Runner” sequel is a challenge, but when it comes to the film’s cast, it seems that the filmmaker couldn’t ask for a better mix.

“It’s a bit berserk [in the sense] that we’re taking … risk. It feels like you are flirting with disaster every morning,” Villeneuve told Deadline of what it’s been like helming the film. “[But] at the same time, I have actors that are really wonderful, who are really impressive.”

The 48-year-old Canadian director then specifically praised Gosling’s performance, saying, “I am really impressed by Ryan Gosling.”

Gosling entered negotiations for a role in the sequel in April last year. The 35-year-old actor then confirmed his casting during an interview with Collider last November, citing the involvement of Villeneuve as one of factors for his decision to join the movie.

Aside from Gosling, the sequel also stars Harrison Ford, Robin Wright, Ana de Armas, Slyvia Hoeks, Carla Juri, Mackenzie Davis, Dave Bautista, Barkhad Abdi, David Dastmalchian, Hiam Abbass, Lennie James and Jared Leto. Ford will be reprising his role as Rick Deckard from the original film released in 1982, while the roles of the other cast members are being kept under wraps.

The script for the sequel — which is set several decades after the events in the first film — was written by Hampton Fancher and Michael Green, after the initial story by Fancher and David Peoples based on Philip K. Dick’s novella of the same title.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly in July, Villeneuve revealed that the sequel — just like the original movie directed by Ridley Scott — will take place in Los Angeles. But this time, the Earth’s atmosphere will be different. “The climate has gone berserk — the ocean, the rain, the snow is all toxic,” he teased.

In the same interview, Villeneuve revealed that Scott serves as executive producer in the project. Frank Giustra and Tim Gamble, CEOs of Thunderbird Films, also executive-produce along with Bill Carraro.

Principal photography of the film began on July 6, and the film is slated to be released on Oct. 6, 2017.