Summary

Blade Runnerhas had a whole host of problems when it came to making the first two movies, butBlade Runner 2099should change all of that. The first movie,Blade Runner, directed by Ridley Scott, struggled to resonate with audiences and critics, resulting in mixed reviews and a pitiful box office return (viaThe Numbers). However, in the years since it first came out, the movie has established itself as one of the most influential and well-loved sci-fi films of all times.

As a result, the film eventually received a sequel in 2017, this timedirected by Denis Villeneuve, but again, the film failed to generate a significant return at the box office against the initial budget (viaThe Numbers). For whatever reason, despite the franchise’s cult following, the films have struggled to make waves, and end up with average returns that dull excitement for the series. However, the latestBlade Runnerproject,2099,could go a long way to fixing the problems the franchise faces.

Blade Runner Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) and K (Ryan Gosling)

Every Blade Runner From The Movies And TV Shows, Ranked By Skill

Throughout the Blade Runner franchise, several different Blade Runners are shown serving as active members of their unit, but they vary in skill.

Blade Runner 2099 Show Won’t Have To Worry About The Box Office

The Box Office Has Not Been Kind To Blade Runner

Of course, a movie is funded and produced in large part by the studio that hosts the project, and without the studios, many of the biggest releases would never get made. But, there are times whenstudio interference can really cut into a director’s creative vision, and result in a project that loses its soul in favor of cosmetic and surface level adjustments that alter the entire story. Most of the time, this comes down to the studios focus on the box office prospects for their projects.

Filmmaking is a business. That is something that cannot be escaped, because studios need money to make movies, so they need box office hit movies to make money, and thus repeat the cycle. However, it can’t be the only, or even the most important consideration when making a film. Movies are, at their core, stories. And the director is the storyteller, who brings all the moving parts together in one cohesive tale. Unfortunately,Blade Runnerwas a very different movieto anything else in theaters, and studios felt the need to step in and make big changes (viaCollider).

A composite image of Michelle Yeoh with a still of Ryan Gosling exiting a vehicle on a dusty plane from Blade Runner 2049

Why The TV Show Format Is Perfect For Blade Runner

TV Is A Very Different Medium For Blade Runner

While movies have the box office looming over them, and studios try to ensure the biggest return on investment for their money, movies have a certain level of oversight. This can be great, withexperienced execs offering advice on how to make the story more effectiveand engaging, but if the director fails to communicate clearly their vision, and why it will resonate with audiences, movies can start to lose shape pretty quickly. TV does not have that same level of oversight, because the metrics that measure their success are completely different.

This means TV can be a more flexible format for experimentation, and creates expansive stories that have room to breathe across several episodes, rather than simply being confined to a 90-minute block. And when it comes to a story and world that is as detailed and far-reaching asBlade Runner,TV is the optimal format for the story to take place. This is further evidenced by the necessity to releaseseveralBlade Runnershort films, essentially mini-episodes, that explored other parts of the world around the release ofBlade Runner 2049.

Blade Runner 2099 temp Logo

Blade Runner 2099: Cast, Story & Everything We Know

The Blade Runner 2049 sequel, Blade Runner 2099, will be a miniseries on Prime Video, and here’s everything we know about the show so far.

What To Expect From Blade Runner 2099

Blade Runner 2099 Will Continue The Narrative

Blade Runner 2099is set 50 years into the future fromBlade Runner 2049, just as the name would suggest. However, with sucha significant time jump, it is possible for the film to go in any direction. Thus far, none of the cast featured inBlade Runner 2049have been confirmed to return, although this can’t be ruled out as a possibility, with androids potentially having a longer lifespan in newer iterations like the Nexus-9 and beyond. It is likely the Wallace Corporation will continue to exist, or an equivalent corporation that carries on the same mission.

With the end ofBlade Runner 2049, the replicant freedom movement is beginning to grow popular, so an uprising could either have happened in the subsequent 50 years, orcontinue intoBlade Runner 2099. Between the original film and the sequel, which was released a full 35 years later in real time, the world portrayed in the movies had advanced and changed. It is likely that this will continue to be true of the upcoming series, marking progress and advancement in the world ofBlade Runnerin a way that will clearly distinguishBlade Runner 2099as its own chapter in the saga.

Blade Runner 2099

Blade Runner 2099 is a television series created for Prime Video and takes place fifty years after 2017’s Blade Runner 2049. Ridley Scott and Silka Luisa are executive producers of the series, with current plot details still under wraps.