IT News on October 12th: Amazon Prime Video released the official trailer and main visual poster for "Blade Runner 2099" at the New York Comic-Con.
This drama consists of 8 episodes and will be released all at once on November 25th Prime Video, covering more than 240 countries and regions around the world. This series is the first live-action adaptation of the "Blade Runner" franchise, co-produced by Amazon MGM Studios and Alcon Television Group.
According to the official plot summary from Prime Video, the story takes place in Los Angeles fifty years after the events of "Blade Runner 2049." This city has "reborn," but it is not humans who have reshaped it.
According to the plot of the drama, between 2049 and 2099, a rebellion by replicants broke out. Humanity was defeated in the war, and replicants became the dominant force controlling the cities, while humans were relegated to a secondary status as citizens.
The show's creator, Silka Luisa, stated at a New York comic convention that the year 2099 represents a crossroads where "one species is on the verge of extinction, while another is on the rise."
The replicant Blade Runner, Orvin, played by Yang Ziqiong, has little time left to live and is searching for a missing colleague. At a comic convention, Luisa revealed that Orvin was supposed to be chasing human rebels, but in reality, he is looking for a missing Blade Runner colleague named Merick. "This is the first time such a thing has happened."
The human character Cora, played by Hunt Schafer, has been on the run for a long time. To protect her brother, she infiltrates the Los Angeles Police Department and pretends to be a Blade Runner, forming a partnership with Orvin that is characterized by opposing viewpoints. Yang Ziqiong stated at the comic convention that her character "knows her days are numbered, and she doesn't like to leave things unfinished."
On the production side, Lucia emphasized the necessity of establishing a new visual style for the year 2099, arguing that the first two films each possessed distinctly different aesthetics, and that the series needed a third approach.
According to IGN, production designer Paul Englis created a large number of 360-degree sets that integrated lighting, interactive screens, and mechanical devices into the real scenery. The set was also scattered with vintage props such as rocking dolls and soda cans to create the feel of "people living and working there." The unusual blue color of Olivia's nails continued the visual detail from the first film in 1982, which depicted the decline of the replicant Roy Batty's life. The creators stated that this was done to ensure that viewers "would never forget that she is dying."
The series was created by Silka Luisa, who also served as the screenwriter and executive producer. In 1982, Ridley Scott, the director of "Blade Runner," continued to hold the role of executive producer.
Jonathan Van Tasselken directed the first two episodes and served as executive producer, while other episode directors include Marcella Said, Karina Evans, and Ariel Kleiman.
The cast also includes Dimitri Abold, Lewis Griben, Matthew Niddam, Tom Burke, and others. According to Radio Times, the creators have confirmed that this series will be a one-time limited production, with the story concluding within 8 episodes, and there will be no renewal for a second season.
IT Note: The production of "Blade Runner 2099" is based on Philip K. Dick's novel "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" The series previously included the 1982 film, the 2017 sequel "Blade Runner 2049," and the animated series "Blade Runner: Black Lotus." This live-action series marks the first time the story has been told in the form of a streaming drama.
