New director and location announced for limited series 'Blade Runner 2099', a sequel in 'Blade Runner' franchise
PETALING JAYA, Feb 20 — A sequel in the Blade Runner franchise is being produced in the form of an Amazon limited series, which is called Blade Runner 2099.
According to Deadline, the limited series would serve as a follow-up to the 2017 sequel Blade Runner 2049.
Ridley Scott, director of the original Blade Runner (1982), is slated to serve as an executive producer, while Alcon Entertainment and Scott Free Productions produce the show.
Film writer Silka Luisa would also serve as the writer, executive producer and showrunner. Acting as a non-writing executive producer is Michael Green, writer of Blade Runner 2049.
Additionally, Tom Spezialy, a member of the show's writers' room and Richard Sharkey would serve as executive producers.
In 2011, Alcon acquired rights to develop prequels and sequels for the science-fiction franchise Blade Runner, encompassing film, television and ancillary franchise rights.
Since then, Alcon has funded and created Blade Runner 2049 and Blade Runner: Black Lotus, an anime series that premiered in 2022 on Adult Swim and Crunchyroll.
Following his directorial and executive-producing duties on the initial two episodes of FX's Shogun (2024) Jonathan van Tulleken has been selected to direct and executive-produce the opening two episodes of Blade Runner 2099.
Van Tulleken's recent credits include directing and executive producing for the Apple TV+ series The Changeling (2023).
Tulleken steps in for Jeremy Podeswa, who was slated to direct the initial two episodes but had to withdraw due to scheduling conflicts caused by alterations to the Blade Runner 2099 production schedule prompted by the WGA strike.
In May of last year, a few weeks into the writers' strike, it emerged that production on Blade Runner 2099 had been postponed due to the work stoppage, with the delay likely extending until spring 2024.
Originally planned to be filmed in Belfast last summer, Blade Runner 2099 underwent a relocation from Belfast, as reported in October 2023.
Northern Ireland Screen said at the time the project had "been prepping on the ground in Belfast for many months now.”
It has now established a production in Prague, Czech Republic, a location that has been drawing in major sci-fi streaming series, such as Apple TV+'s Foundation.
Production for Blade Runner 2099 is scheduled to commence in April.
