Prime Video has developed a strange reputation over the last few years for expanding beloved sci-fi/fantasy franchises. Following up on the success ofThe Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Prime Video will be turning its attention to the world ofBlade Runner, asfilming recently wrappedon the upcoming series,Blade Runner 2099. As the title indicates, the show will take place 50 years after the critical darling/financial flopBlade Runner 2049, while Ridley Scott, who helmed the original film, will be serving as a producer.
Thus far, the show’s premise has been kept tightly under wraps, but what little we know hints that Oscar-winning actressMichelle Yeoh will serve as the lead. She’s set to play Olwen, a Replicant nearing the end of her life, and she’ll be joined by an ensemble cast including Hunter Schafer, Lewis Gribben, and Tom Burke (most recently seen inFuriosa: A Mad Max SagaandBlack Bag). But while we’re down for anything set in theBlade Runneruniverse, a recent hint from a cast member admittedly has us feeling a bit disappointed.
Blade Runner 2049
‘Blade Runner 2099’ Aims to Recapture the Original Film
In a recent interview with Variety, Tom Burke briefly offered hints aboutwhat to expect fromBlade Runner 2099, claiming that the aesthetic will be “much closer to the aesthetic of the first movie than the second movie… that somewhat kind of Baroque, eclectic mix of cultures and time periods.”
Additionally, he asserted that the show would be faithful to the films’ core thematic concerns: “Can we really have a full sense of humanity without being very aware of our own dual sides? We all have the capacity for great evil as well as great good… I do feel that the morality, that whole kind of thing is handled so well in theBlade Runnerworld, to me. It’s got subtleties and nuances to it that I don’t think necessarily all sci-fi always has.”
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On some level, it makes sense that the show will be a bit more faithful to the originalBlade Runnerthan2049. The latter film was a surprising box office disappointment despite the critical acclaim, and for a sequel decades in the making, it was inevitable that any creative choices made would polarize fans at least a little bit. Additionally, Ridley Scott voiced minor disappointment with the film,criticizing its length and pace, so it’s not surprising that he’d wish to return to the aesthetic he spearheaded, given his greater creative involvement.
Additionally, the fact that the series is set to have a female lead could arguably be taken as a response to one of the most common debates about2049—its portrayal of women. While Denis Villeneuve and a decent portion of the fanbase believe that the film objectively showcased modern society’s rampant misogyny without endorsing it, others felt it inadvertently objectified the female characters. All of this is to say,it’s not hard to imagine that2049’s reception may have dictated several of the creative decisions for the show.
‘Blade Runner 2099’ Should Follow in ‘2049’s Footsteps
That being said, it’d admittedly be disappointing to seeBlade Runner 2099return to familiar territory.One of2049’s greatest strengthswas how it didn’t just feel like a rehash, instead expanding upon the world and building off of the philosophical questions the original film raised while also prompting new discussion. Especially given how much time had passed in-universe, it almost felt like a completely new story that could be enjoyed by anyone who hadn’t seen the first installment, while longtime fans could still appreciate the story threads carried over.
While the story world itself looked and felt different, that was the point.We love the gritty, rundown, noir-driven aesthetic ofBlade Runneras much as anyone, but decades passed in-universe, so it was the right call for the setting to look different. The desolate, sterile landscapes effectively showcased both how technology was continuing to evolve and improve but also how the world itself was deteriorating as a result of climate change and widening social inequality. Much like how the universe ofBlade Runnerstill felt somewhat rooted in the 1980s,2049’s world felt like a natural progression of our modern era.
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Thus, if the rumors that2099will look more like the original than2049, it wouldn’t feel just like a creative regression; it wouldn’t feel accurate to the setting, especially given how even more time is supposed to pass in-universe. If anything, it would be fitting for the2099world to feel evenmoredesolate thanBlade Runner, where the overpopulated settings felt perfectly at homenear the start of social collapserather than in the middle of it.
Nonetheless, moreBlade Runneris always preferable to none at all, and we’re still greatly anticipating the show and seeing how it continues to expand the franchise’s mythology. Assuming the creative team still has the restraint to avoid answering if Deckard is a human or a Replicant, we’re all in.Blade RunnerandBlade Runner 2049are available to rent onPrime VideoandApple TV.
