Ridley Scott Returns to Sci Fi with The Forever War

Ridley Scott To Direct The Forever War CREDIT:

Variety reports this week that Fox 2000 has acquired rights to Joe Haldeman’s 1974 Nebula and Hugo-award winning novel The Forever War, to be directed by Ridley Scott. This would be Scott’s first foray in science fiction since making two sci-fi standards - Alien and Blade Runner back-to-back in the late 1970’s/early 80’s.

The trade reports Scott originally intended to follow those films with The Forever War, but rights complications delayed his plans for more than two decades. The SCI FI Channel once pursued the rights to try to adapt the novel into a mini-series, but their efforts eventually stalled.

"I first pursued ‘Forever War’ 25 years ago, and the book has only grown more timely and relevant since," Scott told Daily Variety. "It’s a science-fiction epic, a bit of ‘The Odyssey’ by way of ‘Blade Runner,’ built upon a brilliant, disorienting premise."

The book revolves around, “a soldier who battles an enemy in deep space for only a few months, only to return home to a planet he doesn’t recognize some 20 years later”, Scott said.

There was no timetable reported for the film. The Oscar-nominated director of Gladiator and Black Hawk Down just released Body of Lies and plans to direct Nottingham with frequent collaborator Russell Crowe next.