DAVE BAUTISTA (AKA “DRAX”) JOINS THE BLADE RUNNER SEQUEL

On Saturday, former WWE Champion Dave Bautista took to his Twitter account to post an image of himself looking at a foil origami unicorn, with the caption, “I can’t wait to share some really exciting news…” If it was intended as a subtle hint, many fans seemed to get the message almost immediately. That’s because in Ridley Scott’s 1982 science fiction classic Blade Runner, foil origami unicorns were the calling card of the character Gaff, as played by Edward James Olmos. Two days later, sure enough, it was confirmed that Dave Bautista had indeed been cast in an “important supporting role” in the sequel to Blade Runner. Bautista will join the returning Harrison Ford, as well as new cast members Ryan Gosling and Robin Wright. It’s not yet confirmed if Bautista’s character will indeed have a direct connection to Gaff, as the origami unicorn suggests.

The Blade Runner sequel will be directed by Denis Villeneuve (Sicario, Enemy, Prisoners), with Ridley Scott producing (while he himself will direct Alien: Covenant at around the same time). Warner Bros has scheduled the Blade Runner sequel for wide release on January 12, 2018 (which might be part of an awards-season-friendly platform release).