The cyberpunk mythos of Blade Runner, created by Ridley Scott and expanded by Denis Villeneuve, is breaking entirely new ground on the small screen with Blade Runner 2099, the highly anticipated Prime Video series that promises to radically rewrite the rules of the iconic sci-fi franchise. Created by showrunner Silka Luisa alongside executive producer Scott, the next chapter is set 50 years after Blade Runner 2049, transporting viewers to a world where a replicant uprising has succeeded, reducing humans to second-class citizens. Trading the saga’s trademark gloomy, rain-slicked aesthetic for a vibrant “sunshine noir” vibe (as glimpsed in the first photos), the show is shaping up to be one of Amazon’s most visually striking projects to date.
Starring Oscar-winner Michelle Yeoh as an aging Blade Runner and Hunter Schafer as a fugitive human disguised as an android, Blade Runner 2099 officially stepped out of the shadows at San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC), as it anchored a joint 90-minute presentation inside Hall H, sharing the stage with Prime Video’s mega-budget fantasy tentpole The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Luisa headlined the panel alongside the show’s lead stars, sharing behind-the-scenes insights and a thrilling first look at the adventure.
Inspired by Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Blade Runner 2099 takes place in a flipped dystopian-reality, where a replicant uprising has completely inverted the social hierarchy. The story will track Cora (Schafer), a human fugitive who must disguise herself as a Blade Runner to survive the new world order, as she crosses paths with Olwen (Yeoh), an aging replicant who is facing the final days of her fixed lifespan. The duo team up on a dangerous mission to hunt down a group of missing rogue replicants, but in doing so, they uncover a massive corporate conspiracy that threatens the sprawling metropolis of Los Angeles.
Blade Runner 2099‘s presence at SDCC intensified the buzz surrounding the series, as fans eagerly await the franchise’s return. The high-profile Hall H presentation provided a crucial lifeline, offering a first glimpse into a project that has faced significant production delays on its way to the screen. The new installment appears to be ushering in a bold new era, introducing characters who will explore humanity from a completely different perspective than the first two movies, while also expanding the world first brought to live-action by Scott.
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- Network
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Prime Video
- Directors
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Jonathan van Tulleken
- Writers
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Silka Luisa
