There are times when you watch a new film and you instantly know that it is going to be considered a classic. And there are sometimes when you just don’t realize it. That’s the position that Tandem Productions’ Jerry Perenchio, Bud Yorkin, and Robin French were in when they began reviewing rough cuts of Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner. Although they presumably read the screenplay that Scott brought them to finance, they certainly seemed to be disappointed in the film that Scott returned with if the recently discovered studio notes are any indication.

Reddit user VanTrashcan (via SlashFilm) has brought the sheet of notes from an early 1982 screening of the film to the internet’s attention and boy were these guys not impressed with what they saw. Rough comments range from “This voice over is terrible, the audience will fall asleep,” to “Why did they put in more slow motion in Zhora’s death?” to “This movie gets worse every screening.” Damn.

What’s really interesting is that these notes are from the screening of what is Scott’s third edit and the producers are still not happy with what was being turned in. There’s some brief discussion about taking the film out of Scott’s hands and assigning another editor on the film, which leads to speculation as to how disastrous that would have worked out.

To the winner goes the spoils, or so the old saying goes. And I guess that’s true for this next story. Ang Lee, who beat out Steven Spielberg last month to win the Best Director Academy Award, may be stepping into to helm Warner Bros.’ Moses biopic Gods And Kings following Spielberg’s recent departure from the project. The studio has apparently approached Lee about directing the Biblical epic after Spielberg dropped the project.

Spielberg first signed on to the project back in late 2011, but wit hth enumber of projects that the director always seems to have in development, there weren’t good odds being offered that he would actually be behind the camera if it were to ever get a greenlight. The film is written by Stuart Hazeldine and Michael Green, whose take on the life of the Biblical figure is reportedly more gritty and less glossy than previous Hollywood tellings of the story. So I guess not so much Charlton Heston.

Gods And Kings isn’t the only Moses film currently in development. Twentieth Century Fox also has a project, Exodus, scripted by Tower Heist writers Bill Collage and Adam Cooper, that Ridley Scott is set to direct after he finishes work on The Counselor, though I am unsure as to where that leaves the status of the 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea adaptation he has been developing for some time now.

Via Deadline.

Some filmmakers like to drop little hints that some or even all of their films exist in a shared universe. The most obvious examples of this are the films of Kevin Smith and Quentin Tarantino as well as the Marvel Studios superhero films.

But is Ridley Scott silently creating a cohesive future history with his own science-fiction films? He could be based on this screenshot from the blu-ray release of Prometheus, Scott’s latest film. We know that the film is a functioning prequel to the Alien series, which Scott launched, but it appears now that it is also linked to his 1980 science-fiction classic Blade Runner.

Let’s look at the facts. Blade Runner is set in 2019. Prometheus is set seventy years later in 2089. The writer of the memo is Peter Weyland (Guy Pierce), who, given his advanced age in Prometheus, could very well be over 100. And it is very obvious to anyone who has seen Blade Runner (And you have, haven’t you?) that the memo is referring to the Blade Runner character of Dr. Eldon Tyrell (Joe Turkel).

This wouldn’t be the first time that a creator retro-actively included several thought to be separate works into a shared universe. Towards the end of his career, science-fiction grandmaster Isaac Asimov managed to link his up-until-that-point individual Robot and Galactic Empire/Foundation series of short stories and novels.

Granted, this could just be the inclusion of a joke by a graphics designer on the film, but there is a certain amount of fun in the thought that the two are actually related. And with Scott actively developing both Prometheus and Blade Runner follow-ups, perhaps we’ll see more connections in the future.

Via Live For Films.

Although it might not have done quite the box office business that 20th Century Fox may have been hoping for, the studio has confirmed that a sequel is being developed for this summer’s Alien franchise semi-prequel Prometheus.

The Hollywood Reporter received confirmation from the studio that they and director Ridley Scott are actively pushing ahead in developing a follow up film. Currently star Michael Fassbender and Noomi Rapace are signed to reprise their characters in any potential sequel.

Currently, the studio and Scott are looking for writers for the project. Although Prometheus writer Damon Lindelof had stated during the promotional lead up to the release of the film that he had many ideas for a potential sequel, the studio stated that the writer’s schedule appears to be heavily booked already with other projects.

Honestly, I look forward to Scott further exploring the Alien franchise universe that he opened up with Prometheus. And if Lindelof isn’t along for the ride that might not be such a bad thing either. Although the film’s main plot and themes were conceived by Scott, it was Lindelof who authored the film’s final draft and may be the one responsible for many of the film’s smaller problems.

Yesterday we passed along a quote from director Ridley Scott describing a scene he had in mind for his currently-being-written Blade Runner 2. In an interview with Collider, the director sketched out the following image -

There’ll be a vast farmland where there are no hedges or anything in sight, and it’s flat like the plains of… Kansas, where you can see for miles. And it’s dirt, but it’s being raked. On the horizon is a combine harvester which is futuristic with klieg lights, ‘cause it’s dawn. The harvester is as big as six houses.

In the foreground is a small white clapboard hut with a porch as if it was from Grapes of Wrath. From the right comes a car, coming in about six feet off the ground being chased by a dog. And that’s the end of it, I’m not gonna tell you anything else.

Well, it turns out that this is an image that the director has actually had since he was developing the first Blade Runner film back in the early 1980s. Bleeding Cool was able to dig out the original citation in the Dangerous Days documentary found on the big 5-disc Blade Runner DVD/Blu-ray set. Storyboards for the sequence can also be found in the book Shot-By-Shot. And if you’re interested in seeing how those storyboards, someone has taken and animated them.

Of course, the same caveat as yesterday is still in effect and we should remember that Blade Runner 2 is still in early stages of development and this scene could very well be cut somewhere along the way.

Snow White And The Huntsman (June 1) I have to say that I find it hard to believe out of the two duelling cinematic takes on the Snow White the one that looked more visually compelling would not turn out to be Tarsem Singh’s Mirror, Mirror, but this film from new comer director Rupert Sanders. Thanks to Disney’s ultra-cuddly animated classic, people have forgotten that the story has some dark underpinnings but this definitely looks as if it aims to remind them of that. (In case they miss the PG-13 rating.) Drop in Chris Hemsworth, subbing out his Thor hammer for an ax, as the titular huntsman going after Kristen Stewart’s Snow White at the behest of evil queen Charlize Theron and add Bob Hoskins, Nick Frost and Toby Jones among the seven dwarves for spice and you have got the makings for a really good film. – Rich Drees

Prometheus (June 8) To say that most people were skeptical of Fox’s first announcement that they were developing a prequel to their classic Alien franchise may be an understatement. And considering how that franchise has puttered out with the fairly terrible duo of Alien Vs Predator films, it was hard not to blame them. But then something happened. The director of the original film Ridley Scott became involved and then the project slowly evolved from being a prequel to another story set in the same universe that would share some “DNA” with the original film. Now I’ve had friends who have criticized the trailers for looking too much like an Alien retread – Spaceship crew lands on mysterious planet, discover alien lifeform, much running and screaming ensue – but I have to believe that Scott has something far more deeper and smarter than that in store for us. -RD

Rock Of Ages (June 15) When Rock of Ages opened on Off-Broadway in 2008. I didn’t give it much of a chance to succeed. It’s well-worn star-crossed lovers plot set against the rock clubs of the Sunset Strip didn’t seem the type of show New Yorkers would go for, even if it didn’t feature a score provided by an iPod Shuffle full of 1980′s Hard Rock hits. But succeed it did, moving to Broadway in 2009 where it still resides, and it has made it to the big screen before many other high profile musicals–most notably Wicked.

The biggest thing about the film seems to be the curiousity surrounding Tom Cruise making his musical debut as washed up hair band singer Stacee Jaxx. But the original musical had less going for it and is still going strong. This film could be the surprise of the summer.  - William Gatevackes

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (June 22) I didn’t expect much out of this film other than it being a tounge in cheek piffle. However, the ads for the film look good. Really good. Granted, the film cannot be all that serious. I mean, it portrays our most iconic President as a male Buffy. But it appears to be slightly more than just one note.  - WG

Brave (June 22) Cars 2 was a critical disappointment for Pixar. Not that Disney even noticed, the film was one of the Top Ten highest grossing films of 2011. But it showed a chink in the armor of the usually dependable output from Pixar and some might be worried that it was the first step in the downward spiral of diminishing quality. From what I’ve seen of this film, I think Cars 2 more an abberation than a warning sign. This film seems utterly charming and even the trailer evoked an emotional response from me. It appears to be a return to form for Pixar. – WG

GI Joe: Retaliation (June 29) I can’t wait for this film since I…wait, what? Really? Nevermind.- WG

Ted (June 29) – Judging by the red band trailer, this story about a grown man and his living teddy bear will be just as profane as one would expect from Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane. Mark Wahlberg has made a few stabs at doing comedy before but this looks like it might actually be the film where he scores a hit. Also, in a summer full of big budget tentpole action pics an original high concept comedy could be just the cinematic sorbet we need in the middle of the summer movie season. – RD

With Ridley Scott starting to do the promotion circuit for this summer’s Prometheus, reporters are already peppering him with questions about his next most anticipated project – his mysterious follow up to his 1982 classic Blade Runner. And we are already getting some news about how the project might be shaping up. Spoilers obviously follow, though they are fairly vague.

First up is a small tidbit about the film’s protagonist, specifically their sex. This nugget comes out of an interview with The Daily Beast and was dropped in the midst of a discussion about Ridley’s use of a strong protagonist in Alien.

Funny enough, I started my first meetings on the Blade Runner sequel last week. We have a very good take on it. And we’ll definitely be featuring a female protagonist.

If you read closely, you’ll actually find two bits of information. The first being that the hero of the film, or at least one of the heroes, will be female.

But Scott also reveals that the project will be a sequel, where before all involved were playing coy as to whether the film would be a prequel or a sequel to Blade Runner. The producers of the film, Alcon Entertainment, confirmed that it will be a sequel in their press release announcing that original Blade Runner Hampton Fancher was coming back to write the new film. (Bolded for emphasis.)

LOS ANGELES, CA, MAY 17, 2012—Hampton Fancher is in talks to reunite with his “Blade Runner” director Ridley Scott to develop the idea for the original screenplay for the Alcon Entertainment, Scott Free, and Bud Yorkin produced follow up to the ground-breaking 1982 science fiction classic, it was announced by Alcon co-founders and co-Chief Executive Officers Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove.

The filmmakers are also revealing for the first time that the much-anticipated project is intended to be a sequel to the renowned original. The filmmakers would reveal only that the new story will take place some years after the first film concluded.

The three-time Oscar-nominated Scott and his “Blade Runner” collaborator Fancher originally conceived of their 1982 classic as the first in a series of films incorporating the themes and characters featured in Philip K. Dick‘s groundbreaking novel “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?“, from which “Blade Runner” was adapted. Circumstances, however, took Scott into other directions and the project never advanced.

Fancher, although a writer of fiction, was known primarily as an actor at the time Scott enlisted him to adapt the Dick novel for the screen. Fancher followed his “Blade Runner” success with the screenplays, “The Mighty Quinn” (1989) and “The Minus Man” (1999). He has continued to write fiction throughout his career.

Scott also will produce with Alcon co-founders and co-Chief Executive Officers Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove as well as Bud Yorkin and Cynthia Sikes Yorkin. Frank Giustra and Tim Gamble, CEO’s of Thunderbird Films, will serve as executive producers.

The original film, which has been singled out as the greatest science-fiction film of all time by a majority of genre publications, was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” The film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry in 1993 and is frequently taught in university courses. In 2007, it was named the 2nd most visually influential film of all time by the Visual Effects Society.

State Kosove and Johnson: “It is a perfect opportunity to reunite Ridley with Hampton on this new project, one in fact inspired by their own personal collaboration, a classic of cinema if there ever was one.”

Setting this new film “some years after the first film concluded,” does seem to leave the door open for a return of Harrison Ford, doesn’t it?

The biggest secret being kept about an upcoming summer movie, outside of who the aliens are in Marvel’s The Avengers, is probably what the plot for Ridley Scott’s Prometheus is all about. We basically know that it is set in the same universe that he created for his classic Alien, is probably only tangentially related to that film and concerns a group of explorers who head out towards a planet after uncovering some sort of evidence that aliens had visited this planet long ago. Now thanks to two trailers – one for US audiences and another for international audiences – we get a better idea of what that evidence may be and what things they may be unexpectedly encountering.

The International Trailer offers a bit more of the evidence that sends them to the stars.

Prometheus stars Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba and Guy Pearce and opens on June 8.

While most of us would probably wish that director Ridley Scott was diving deep into pre-production on the Blade Runner follow up that was announced a few months back, that project hasn’t even begun to be written. And while the screenplay for that gets worked on by which ever writer Scott eventually hires, the director will be working on The Counselor, a legal thriller from novelist Cormac McCarthy.

McCarthy wrote the script on spec, and it generated some excitement when it was put up for sale, with Scott becoming quickly attached to it. Normally, Scott is prone to a long period of re-writing on his projects, but Deadline is reporting that the film “might well be traveling on the fastest track toward production of any film in recent memory” with a possible May 1st production start. Deadline is also reporting that a “group of top actors” have all read the script and are clamoring to be part of the production. The only name mentioned in the article is Michael Fassbender.

And while I am anxious to see what Scott has in mind for his Blade Runner follow up, any new film from the director is something to look forward to. And teamed with a powerful storyteller like McCarthy on screenplay only amplifies that anticipation.

With the 30th anniversary of the release of Blade Runner this year and a followup film heading our way in the next couple of years, director Ridley Scott’s science-fiction noir classic has a little higher than usual profile right now. And one of the things that have helped the film’s longevity is the meticulous world that Scott and his production designers created. At the time of Blade Runner‘s release, you could see some of the work those designers did in the book The Blade Runner Sketchbook. Unfortunately, it has been out of print fro some time and a much sought after collector’s item, demanding close to $300 from Amazon marketplace sellers online.

But for those fans who don’t have the three bills for a copy of the book there is an alternative. The book is now available online for everyone to peruse the stunning work of designers like the legendary Syd Mead, Mentor Huebner, Charles Knode, Michael Kaplan and Scott. It’s an amazing look at what went into the creation of the film’s dystopian future and what didn’t get get into the film.

You can check it out here.