James R | On 16, Sep 2022

Amazon has officially given the green light to Blade Runner 2099, a new series continuing the iconic sci-fi franchise.

Philip K Dick’s story of replicants and those seeking to “retire” them was a sci-fi classic on the page before it became a classic too, thanks to Ridley Scott’s 1982 Blade Runner. It was followed in 2017 by Denis Villeneuve’s Blade Runner 2049, a sequel that saw Harrison Ford and Edward James Olmos reprise their roles from the original, joined by Ana de Armas, Dave Bautista and Jared Leto.

Hot on the heels of Black Lotus, an anime series set in 2032 that debuted on All 4, came news that Amazon was looking to expand the universe further with a live-action Blade Runner series, set 50 years after Scott’s movie.

Now, Amazon has formally given the go-ahead, with Silka Luisa (Apple TV+’s Shining Girls) on board as showrunner and exec-producer. Scott will also exec-produce through Scott Free Productions, along with Blade Runner 2049 writer Michael Green, Scott Free’s David W Zucker and Clayton Krueger, writer Tom Spezialy (The Leftovers), Cynthia Yorkin, Frank Giustra and Isa Dick Hackett, plus Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson, the co-CEOs of Alcon Entertainment, which holds the rights to Blade Runner, plus Alcon’s head of TV, Ben Roberts.

Story details are being kept secret for now, although Amazon has said that the project will “uphold the intellect, themes and spirit of its film predecessors”.

“The original Blade Runner, directed by Ridley Scott, is considered one of the greatest and most influential science-fiction movies of all time, and we’re excited to introduce Blade Runner 2099 to our global Prime Video customers,” said Amazon Studios’ head of global television, Vernon Sanders. “We are honoured to be able to present this continuation of the Blade Runner franchise.”

“We are delighted to continue our working relationship with our friends at Amazon. And we are beyond excited to continue to extend the Blade Runner canon into a new realm with the provocative storyline that Silka has created,” said Kosove and Johnson. “Audiences first discovered Ridley Scott’s brilliant vision for Blade Runner 40 years ago, and since then, it has become one of the most influential science-fiction films of all time. Denis Villeneuve’s follow-up sequel, Blade Runner 2049, then became one of the best reviewed sequels of all time. So, we recognize that we have a very high bar to meet with this next installment. Together with Silka and our partners at Amazon, and Scott Free Productions, we hope that we can live up to that standard and delight audiences with the next generation of Blade Runner.”

 

Blade Runner 2099: Live-action series in the works at Amazon

11th February 2022

Blade Runner is heading to the small screen for a second time, with a new live-action series in the works at Amazon Studios.

Philip K Dick’s story of replicants and those seeking to “retire” them was a sci-fi classic on the page before it became an iconic film in its own right too, thanks to Ridley Scott’s 1982 Blade Runner – a film that was followed in 2017 by Denis Villeneuve’s Blade Runner 2049, which saw Harrison Ford and Edward James Olmos reprise their roles from the original, joined by Ana de Armas, Dave Bautista and Jared Leto.

Last year, the Blade Runner universe expanded with the debut of anime series Black Lotus on All 4, set in 2032 and centring on a female replicant voiced by Jessica Henwick. Now, the world is growing once more with will be the first live-action Blade Runner show. The sequel will be set 50 years after Blade Runner 2049 and comes with Ridley Scott’s blessing, as he’s on board as exec-producer.

Silka Luisa, showrunner of Apple TV+ series Shining Girls, is writing and exec-producing, with Amazon Studios putting the project in its fast-track priority development pipeline. Deadline reports that Scott could direct the project if it moves forward.

The series is the latest extension in a franchise that has seen renewed momentum since Alcon Entertainment acquired the rights to the sci-fi classic back in 2011. Alcon is no stranger to Amazon Studios, having also produced The Expanse, which became an Amazon original after the online giant rescued it from cancellation. The project will also be produced by Scott’s Scott Free Productions, which has a range of TV shows under its belt, including HBO Max’s Raised by Wolves, Paramount+ drama The Good Fight and Netflix’s Jigsaw.

Michael Green, who wrote Blade Runner 2049, will exec-produce the series, along with Alcon co-founders Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson, plus Ben Roberts and Cynthia Yorkin and – for Scott Free – David W Zucker and Clayton Krueger.

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