Summary
The upcomingBlade Runner 2099series has finally reached a major milestone on its way to release, with a new casting being confirmed recently for one of the most important roles in the series.
TheBlade Runnerfranchise started off as an understated idea stemming from the 1968 novelDo Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?by Philip Dick before truly exploding into the popular consciousness with the now-iconic film adaptation from filmmaker Ridley Scott. This was the franchise’s ascension to the big time andhas since become a cult classic and a major influence in the science fiction genre. As a result, fans were absolutely delighted whenScott revealed that aBlade RunnerTV show was in the worksfor streaming.
With the now-namedBlade Runner 2099sequel series getting greenlit at Amazon, the show’s pre-production is in full swing and casting has started in earnest. In addition toEverything Everywhere At Once’sMichelle Yeoh, who has previously been cast in the project,Deadlinehas now confirmed that the other female lead role in the series has been filled by none other thanEuphoriastar Hunter Schafer, whowas given the go-ahead to book other rolesthanks to production delays onEuphoria’sthird season. While the specifics of her role haven’t been confirmed, rumors preceding the official announcement in the trades indicate that she’ll be taking on the role of Cora alongside Yeoh’s Olwen as co-leads. The character is mentioned in the available plot synopsis, albeit with little detail to go on.
In Los Angeles 2099, Cora lived her entire life on the run, a chameleon forced to adopt numerous identities. To secure a stable future for her brother, she assumes one final identity and is forced to partner with Olwen, a Replicant who’s confronting the end of her life. The two are pulled into a widening conspiracy that poses an existential threat to a city that’s fighting to be reborn.
A return tothe mind-bending science fiction of theBlade Runnerfranchiseis certainly welcome news for fans, who have been craving more since the 2017 entryBlader Runner 2049managed to serve as a worthy sequel almost three decades after the original cinematic masterpiece that got the fans talking about it. While Denis Villeneuve certainly did the IP justice in that instance,the addition of Scott in the role of executive producer and as the project’s potential director has certainly lent a lot of weight to the offering. The role of the project’s scribe and showrunner has been given to Silka Luisa, who most recently successfully adapted the 2013 novelShining Girlsinto an Apple TV+ series of the same name, also serving as writer and showrunner there. While it’s still early days, Blade Runner 2099 certainly seems to be in good hands backstage.
This is great news for fans of the franchise, who had to contend with bad news concerning theAmazon sci-fi series being delayed due to the double strikesthat took place last year pushing back the potential release window. With the series set 50 years ahead in time from the last big-budget live-action outing, there’s little doubt that the show is going to be in post-production for ages, and might require a lot of filming to fully bring the creative vision to life. As such, the potential 2024 release initially speculated after the delays in 2023 seems particularly unlikely now. However, the new timeline has reportedly allowed Jonathan van Tulleken to serve as EP on some episodes, fresh off of his stellar run on streaming/linear hitShogun. This marks yet another heavy hitter behind the scenes for the project,giving it even more of a big-budget project feel.
The franchise certainly seems set for a push to even more cultural relevance, withStraypublisher Annapurna Interactive working on a newBlade Runnergamein tandem with the IP’s first live-action television project. WithBlade Runnerjoining the likes ofStar WarsandStar Trekas s true multimedia player, there’s no telling what’s in store for fans next. Of course, this means thatthere’s a lot more than just its own narrative stakes resting onBlade Runner 2099’sshoulders.
Blade Runner 2099is currently set in development for release for streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
