Here's a surprising factoid - twenty five years after its theatrical release, new scenes were shot for Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner" it would seem.

Since the DVD format became popular, fans have been clamoring for Scott's "final cut" of the film, his true definitive version of the sci-fi epic rather than the rushed 1992 "Director's Cut" which Scott has publicly stated he was unhappy with.

Though work began in 2000 on the disc set, legal issues and other factors have delayed it for years. Then late last year it was confirmed that the film would be finally coming out in a massive multi-disc box set sometime in the second half of 2007 to celebrate the film's 25th anniversary.

Anticipation remains high. Scott's "Legend" and "Kingdom of Heaven", two films which received mixed reaction upon release, scored lavish 'final cut' DVD editions in the last few years with the longer versions garnering far more acclaim than their original counterparts.

In any case this week saw a surprising new twist in the story. Actress Joanna Cassidy, famous for playing the Replicant Zhora in "Blade Runner", released the following comment on her official site:

"Joanna has just finished re-shooting her scenes from the original BLADE RUNNER movie. Joanna is wearing her original outfit (which she kept over from the first production). These new scenes will be part of the upcoming special BLADE RUNNER DVD re-release. Check back for more details."

This is surprising news, begging the question of how much new footage was shot and what impact it will have on the final cut. I'll update you with more as it happens.