Blade Runner sequel release date set for 2018

The Blade Runner sequel directed by Denis Villeneuve (Sicario), shot by Roger Deakins, and starring Ryan Gosling — with Harrison Ford returning as Deckard, of course — finally has a release date. But it’s not the summer slot many were expecting for the long-awaited follow up.

The yet-untitled sequel to Blade Runner will hit theaters on January 12, 2018.

But isn’t January reserved as a studio dumping ground? Usually, but there’s a few possible explanations for this contrarian release strategy. Jan. 12 is the Friday before Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in 2018, giving Blade Runner a nice, long weekend in the midst of awards season when there typically isn’t much to see in terms of spectacular must-see blockbusters. There’s also the possibility that Warner Bros, who will distribute the film in the U.S., is staking out Jan. 12 as the film’s wide release date — with a more limited awards-savvy run coming at the end of 2017.