What we know about Blade Runner 2099

Blade Runner director Ridley Scott is taking audiences back to the future with another entry to his classic sci-fi series — this time on the small screen.

The last we saw of the distant future was in Blade Runner 2049, the long-awaited 2017 follow-up to Scott’s troubled 1982 original, helmed by Dune director Denis Villeneuve.

With Scott on producing duty, Villeneuve invited Ryan Gosling in on the action as a replicant hunter who gets embroiled in a case with the potential to forever change the relationship between humans and their artificially created counterparts.

Reconnecting with Harrison Ford’s Rick Deckard along the way, the movie was a visual feast for the eyes and a solid sci-fi movie to boot yet much like Scott’s original, it failed to produce bumper box office returns.

Now, Scott is heading off world once more for a new limited series. Here’s what we know about Blade Runner 2099 so far, including its release date, plot, cast and more.

When will Blade Runner 2099 be released?

Blade Runner 2099 will debut on Amazon streaming service Prime Video, with rumours hinting at a 10-episode arc.

Filming was due to begin in Belfast in mid-2023. However, production was pushed back until spring 2024 due to the Hollywood strikes, with the Czech capital Prague becoming the new filming location.

If Prime Video’s previous release formats are anything to go by, we might expect Blade Runner 2099 to debut weekly following its initial launch.

Who is in the cast of Blade Runner 2099?

The Blade Runner 2099 cast includes Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh. Although her role remains under wraps, rumours suggest she is playing a character named Olwen, a replicant that is nearing the end of her life. Yeoh is best known for her appearances in Everything Everywhere All at Once and Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies.

Euphoria star Hunter Schafer has also joined the cast in an as-yet-undisclosed role. Schafer also appeared in The Hunger Games prequel The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.

With the show still in its early days, no other cast members have been announced yet. Due to its even-deeper-into-the-future premise, it’s unlikely we’ll see any faces familiar from previous Blade Runner movies pop up, unless they’re in flashback form.

Is there a trailer for Blade Runner 2099?

There’s currently no trailer for Blade Runner 2099 — but if you’re eager to return to this rain-soaked, neon-tinged future, check back soon. As soon as footage becomes available you’ll find it here.

What is the plot of Blade Runner 2099?

When it comes to Blade Runner 2099’s plot, Ridley Scott is keeping his cards close to his chest.

We do know that the show is set 50 years after Villeneuve’s sequel, which means the chances of it featuring appearances from Ford or Gosling are low unless flashbacks are involved.

Speaking to Esquire (via Variety), Scott compared the series’ tone to the classic science fiction novel Brave New World by Aldous Huxley which envisions a world where the population is genetically engineered and ordered by intelligence.

The Alien director also admitted that he regretting not returning for Blade Runner 2049 and directing 2017’s Alien: Covenant instead.

Blade Runner 2099 was first teased back in late 2021, with Scott revealing that the pilot episode of the show had been written alongside a more comprehensive ‘bible’ outline for the series’ full arc. The show got the official go-ahead a few months later in February 2022 alongside its official title.

Scott confirmed that he was producing the series, with Jeremy Podeswa helming its pilot before shifting onto producing duties for the remainder of the show. Podeswa has a solid back catalogue of small-screen entertainment under his belt, having previously directed episodes of Game of Thrones, The Tudors and Station Eleven.

Blade Runner 2099 is coming soon to Prime Video.