It's been announced that the Blade Runner sequel is set to begin shooting this July. This is why you ought to be very excited...

It's the follow-up to one of the greatest movies of all time

Back in 1982, Ridley Scott's trend-setting Blade Runner revolutionised science fiction with its rain-drenched, fire-belching vision of a futuristic Los Angeles. A striking blend of Asian culture, futuristic technology and pervasive neon, the movie continues to prove a transporting, immersive experience like few others.

Adapted from Philip K. Dick's classic sci-fi novel, the movie is centrally a weighty and philosophical story about the divide between man and machine, a perfect blend of style and substance that lingers in the mind long after viewing, whether it's your first or your fortieth.

Harrison Ford is back on board

The Star Wars actor famously loathed working on the original Blade Runner, citing communication problems with Ridley Scott, so the fact he's returning for the sequel is both very surprising and very exciting. In Blade Runner he plays Rick Deckard, a futuristic police officer whose job it is to track down and eliminate 'replicants,' androids in humanoid form.

With debate still raging over whether Deckard is in fact a replicant himself, it remains to be seen whether writers Hampton Fancher and David Green will continue this controversial aspect of the story. (We're betting it will.)

Ryan Gosling is co-starring

The brilliantly versatile star of Drive and this month's Oscar contender The Big Short is one of our most exciting actors, capable of both magnetic stillness and explosive anger. He's set to take the lead role in the Blade Runner sequel, although exact details are yet to be released. Will Gosling's Drive persona result in him playing an android, someone who seems both human and yet disconcertingly... off? We'll have to see.

Denis Villeneuve is directing

The name might not mean much, but if we were to tell you that Villeneuve directed one of last year's best thrillers Sicario, we're betting it would get your attention. A master of coiled, brooding, ruthlessly suspenseful atmosphere, he has also directed disturbing movies Prisoners and Enemy, a director capable of eliciting great performances from big actors like Jake Gyllenhaal whilst also holding audiences firmly in his grip.

Therefore the prospect of Villeneuve being unleashed on the futuristic playground of Blade Runner is more than enough to get our pulses racing – if anyone can do this world justice in the wake of Ridley Scott, this is surely the man.

Roger Deakins is filming

Again, you might not know the name but Deakins is a towering figure of cinema, a revered cinematographer responsible for innumerable movie classics. The Shawshank Redemption, Fargo, The Big Lebowski, Skyfall and the aforementioned Sicario are just five of the awe-inspiring movies that he's helped bring to life, and when you combine Deakins' skill with the visually dazzling possibilities offered by the Blade Runner sequel, the results are set to be jaw-dropping.

No release date is currently confirmed for the Blade Runner sequel but we'll keep you informed of the latest news. Excited much? Send us your thoughts @Cineworld.