Blade Runner sequel: Guardians Of The Galaxy actor Dave Bautista hints at role on Instagram

Dave Bautista, known best for his roles in Guardians Of The Galaxy and the latest James Bond instalment Spectre, has ignited rumours that he may be joining the cast of an upcoming, untitled Blade Runner sequel which would see him share the screen with original star Harrison Ford.

Ryan Gosling is already on board for the project and just last week, speculation emerged that House Of Cards star Robin Wright would also be seen in the follow-up.

Bautista took to his personal Instagram account to tease fans, posting a photo of himself holding an origami unicorn (which looks remarkably like the one from the original film). The 47-year-old accompanied the image with the intriguing caption: "I can't wait to share some really exciting news..."

The paper unicorn appears in the original movie right at the end of the film when Deckard (Ford) leaves his apartment with Rachael (Sean Young). As the pair make their exit, Rachael knocks over an origami unicorn. The unicorn is the last of a series of origami figures that Gaff uses to taunt Deckard throughout the film. One interpretation is that the unicorn was simply a message to Deckard to say 'I know you've got Rachael, but I'll let her live'. Another interpretation (based on the script) is that the unicorn is Gaff's gauntlet and he will hunt them both down – which certainly sounds like the basis for an interesting sequel.

The original film which came out in 1982 and was based on the 1968 science fiction novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K Dick, starred Ford as an ex-police officer tasked with tracking down escaped genetically-engineered 'replicants' who had returned to Earth illegally in order to extend their four-year life spans.

The long-awaited (and sometimes feared) follow-up to Ridley Scott's 1982 tech-noir classic is gearing up to shoot this July with Sicario's Denis Villeneuve directing and Scott acting as a producer. The latest script comes from Hampton Rancher (who co-wrote the original) and Alien: Covenant's Michael Green, which aims to continue the story of Deckard several decades after the end of the first film. Cinematographer Roger Deakins, who worked with Villeneuve previously on Sicario is also aboard, while the still-untitled sequel is scheduled to hit UK screens on 12 January 2018, just one year before the futuristic original is set.

Before the possible part in the Blade Runner sequel however, Bautista will be seen later this year in comedy The Boss alongside Kristen Bell and Melissa McCarthy. He is currently busy filming Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy 2 where he will reprise his role as Drax The Destroyer from the first instalment which came out in 2014.

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