Nearly five years on from its release, Blade Runner 2049 continues to feel like something of a miracle. The much-belated cinematic sequel to Ridley Scott’s ever-evolving 1982 sci-fi masterpiece somehow managed to be a worthy follow-up to an all-time-great, and a significant work in its own right from director Denis Villeneuve. And while that film struggled at the box office (thankfully, Villeneuve’s Dune fared better – bring on Part Two!), the world of Replicants, rain, and really delicious-looking noodles looks set to make a comeback. According to Deadline, a live-action series is currently being developed at Amazon under the title Blade Runner 2099.
The series is being executive produced by Ridley Scott himself (via his Scott Free Productions), alongside Silka Luisa, and Alcon Entertainment (the current Blade Runner rights holders). Deadline reports that Scott himself may end up directing episodes should it go fully into production. For now, this one is in the early stages – a writers’ room currently being assembled, with scripts being fast-tracked, with a view to find a not-too-distant production window. Whether it’ll see the return of any familiar faces from the original film or from 2049 remains to be seen.
Most recently, the Blade Runner universe has been continued in anime series Blade Runner: Black Lotus – set prior to the events of Villeneuve’s film, following Replicant Elle, voiced by The Matrix Resurrections’ Jessica Yu Li Henwick, in the year 2032. Here’s hoping 2099 will be the Blade Runner series of our (unicorn) dreams.