A live-action “Blade Runner” sequel series is in development at Amazon, Variety has learned.
Titled “Blade Runner 2099,” the series will serve as a follow-up to the “Blade Runner” sequel “Blade Runner 2049.” Silka Luisa will write and executive produce, with Ridley Scott set to executive produce via Scott Free Productions. Scott
More from Variety
Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson of Alcon Entertainment are also executive producing along with David W. Zucker of Scott Free, “Blade Runner 2049” screenwriter Michael Green, Ben Roberts, Cynthia Yorkin, and Clayton Krueger. Alcon Entertainment and Amazon Studios will also produce along with Scott Free.
Plot details on the series are being kept under wraps, but the title indicates it will take place fifty years after the events of the most recent film in the franchise, which debuted in theaters in 2017 with Denis Villeneuve directing.
In addition to the two films, Adult Swim recently aired the anime series “Blade Runner: Black Lotus,” which takes place in the year 2032.
Scott had previously teased that a “Blade Runner” live-action series was in the works, telling the BBC in November 2021 that the pilot had already been written and a series bible had been prepared.
The original “Blade Runner” film was released in 1982. It is based on the Philip K. Dick book “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” Harrison Ford starred along with Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Edward James Olmos among others. The film was not a box office success upon its original release but received strong critical acclaim and has gone on to achieve cult status. In addition to the original theatrical release, a director’s cut was released in 1992 followed by “The Final Cut” in 2007.
“Blade Runner” 2049 saw Harrison Ford and Olmos reprise their original roles, with Ryan Gosling, Jared Leto, Ana de Armas, Sylvia Hoeks, Robin Wright, Mackenzie Davis, Carla Juri, Lennie James, and Dave Bautista joining the cast. Like the original, the sequel received generally positive reviews from critics. It grossed over $259 million worldwide against a reported budget of $150 million.
“Blade Runner 2099” is the latest large-scale genre show Amazon has worked on in recent years. Most famously, the streaming arm of the online retail giant is prepping a “Lord of the Rings” series that will bow in September. There are also shows like the spy thriller “Jack Ryan,” the sci-fi drama “The Expanse,” and the fantasy series “The Wheel of Time.”
Deadline first reported the series landed at Amazon.
Best of Variety
Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
