'Blade Runner 2049' premiere date, cast news, plot updates: Film set to premiere in October 2017; Sequel's timeline begins 30 years after the first film

The 'Blade Runner' sequel is anticipated to hit theaters in October next year. Meanwhile, the story timeline is set 30 years after the events that took place in the first film.

According to Digital Trends, Warner Bros. and Alcon Entertainment announced, in a press release last Oct. 6, the official title of the American sci-fi film following a replicant hunter, which is "Blade Runner 2049."

The prequel to this is "Blade Runner," which was released in 1982 and was directed by Ridley Scott. The movie followed ex-police officer Rick Deckard — played by Harrison Ford — in retiring genetically engineered replicants by killing them, in a futuristic Los Angeles set in 2019.

For "Blade Runner 2049," Scott will not be directing it, but he will still be involved by being the film's producer. He tagged Hampton Fancher to write the screenplay as he was the screenwriter for the original film.

Joining Scott and Fancher is "Prisoners" and "Sicario" director Denis Villaneueve who has been tapped to direct "Blade Runner 2049." In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Villaneueve still remembers the original film because he watched it "thousands of times" and knows it by heart.

"It's really the movie that gave birth to my desire to become a director," Villaneueve added.

Based on the movie titles, the timeline of the "Blade Runner" sequel will begin 30 years after the original. Similar to the first movie, part of the sequel's plot is the mystery behind Deckard being a replicant himself. Other details about the film are being kept under tight wraps, and more information will be released when the premiere date is already near.

Ford will be reprising his role in "Blade Runner 2049," but he may only be in a small chunk of the film.

In an interview with Variety, Scott explained how he and Fancher have developed the storyline for the sequel.

"We talked at length about what it could be, and came up with a pretty strong three-act storyline, and it all makes sense in terms of how it relates to the first one... Harrison is very much part of this one, but really it's about finding him; he comes in in the third act," shared Scott.

Other big stars, such as Ryan Gosling, Robin Wright of "House of Cards," Dave Bautista of "Guardians of the Galaxy," and Jared Leto of "Suicide Squad," will be joining the cast as well, but their roles in the film still remain a mystery.

"Blade Runner 2049" is expected to debut on Oct. 6, 2017