Blade Runner Live-Action Sequel Series Being Developed by Amazon

Ridley Scott’s 1982 Blade Runner, based on the Philip K. Dick novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, is set to be getting a live-action sequel series through Amazon Studios. Scott himself teased the series last fall, with this latest update confirming the project is officially heading into development. The original film already earned the feature-film sequel Blade Runner 2049, while the franchise was also explored in the anime series Blade Runner: Black Lotus. Silka Luisa, showrunner of Apple TV+’s upcoming series Shining Girls, is writing and executive producing, with Deadline‘s sources noting that Scott himself might be helming episodes of the project.

The original film took place in the dystopic 2019, while the sequel jumped forward by 30 years. As implied by the title, Blade Runner 2099 would be jumping forward another 50 years into the future from what we saw in the last live-action film.

The original film saw Harrison Ford play Deckard, a “blade runner” tasked with eradicating a group of rogue androids, with the film serving not only as a sci-fi neo-noir, but also presenting ideas regarding what it really means to be “human.” In the sequel, Ryan Gosling played K, an android blade runner who uncovers a secret that could disrupt all of humanity.

Fans first learned of the Blade Runner TV series back in November.

“We [have already] written the pilot for Blade Runner and the bible,” Scott shared with the BBC. “So, we’re already presenting Blade Runner as a TV show, the first 10 hours.”  

Interestingly, despite the brand recognition and cult following of the Blade Runner franchise, both films have largely been disappointments. The debut film was lauded by some critics initially for its special effects and its ambition, while others critiqued its slow pacing. Scott himself was also a critic of the theatrically released film, going on to release a Director’s Cut of the film in 1992 and then a “Final Cut” in 2007.

Despite Scott returning to produce 2049, which also featured Ford’s return and had Denis Villeneuve serve as director, the top-tier talent and cult following of the original movie only resulted in a worldwide gross of $260.5 million against a reported budget of as much as $185 million.

Stay tuned for details on Blade Runner 2099.

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