Entertainment Weekly has published the first shots and details of the sci-fi series "Blade Runner 2099." The sequel will take place 50 years after Denis Villeneuve's film and will show a world where a replicant uprising has led to artificial humans becoming the dominant force, while real humans have been relegated to second-class citizens.
The story centers on Olwen (Michelle Yeoh), a replicant whose life cycle is nearing its end. She hunts down rogue replicants and teams up with Cora (Hunter Schafer) – a human who has spent her life hiding from blade runners.
Visually, the series will depart from the dark and rainy metropolis image familiar from previous films. Showrunner Silka Luisa describes the new style as "sun-drenched noir":
"You're still in the 'Blade Runner' universe, but our series is about the birth of a new city and a new era of replicants. So the climate here is hot, humid, and sunny. We often find ourselves on the coast and in Santa Monica. You'll see the texture of Ridley Scott's world, filtered through a sun-drenched noir lens."
"Blade Runner 2099" is announced as a mini-series, planned for one season. Silka Luisa, who previously worked on "Shining Girls" and "Halo," serves as creator, showrunner, and lead writer for the project. Ridley Scott and "Blade Runner 2049" screenwriter Michael Green participated in the series' development and took on executive producer roles.
The first two episodes were directed by "Shogun" director Jonathan van Tulleken. Tom Spezialy, who worked on the series "Watchmen," also joined the writing team.
In addition to Michelle Yeoh and Hunter Schafer, the cast includes Dimitri Abold, Lewis Gribben, Kaitlin Rose Downey, Daniel Rigby, Tom Burke, Jonny Harris, Sheila Atim, and Matthew Needham.
A full presentation of "Blade Runner 2099" will take place at Comic-Con in San Diego on July 24. The series premiere is scheduled for late 2026 on Prime Video.