We’re in the golden age of the “legacyquel.” From House of the Dragon to Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, studios everywhere are resurrecting old franchises like never before. But a familiar IP doesn’t equal a slam dunk. For every First Omen that gains acclaim for finding a new take on the original story, there’s an Exorcist: Believer that earns a reputation for being a pale imitation.
With such a high-risk high-reward approach, it can be difficult to be optimistic about new projects. But thankfully, one upcoming follow-up to a legendary sci-fi franchise just got an exciting update that should help fans look forward to what’s to come.
Blade Runner 2099 is an Amazon Prime Video original series follow-up to Ridley Scott’s cyberpunk noir classic Blade Runner and Denis Villeneuve’s sequel Blade Runner 2049. As its title suggests, Blade Runner 2099 is set even further in the future and will star Michelle Yeoh as a Replicant nearing the end of its lifespan. But because that’s all we know about the series, it’s been difficult to speculate whether it can live up to the movies.
The series also stars Hunter Schafer, Dimitri Arbold, Lewis Gribben, Katelyn Rose Downey, and Daniel Rigby. It’s overseen by Silka Luisa, the previous showrunner of Apple TV+’s reality-shifting thriller Shining Girls and producer for Season 1 of Paramount+’s Halo series, so she has experience with both mysteries and sci-fi sagas.
Thankfully, we now have our first report from the set. Executive Producer Michael Green told The Direct that production is going excellently so far.
“We're filming now,” he said. “Showrunner Silka Luisa has created an incredible show. I've seen dailies. They're stunning. I've read the script. You know, they’ve seen the scripts. I am very excited for how she's evolved the world and made it bigger. It's a really impressive, intelligent, emotional story."
While you should probably take the effusive praise of a show’s executive producer with a grain of salt, Green’s quote seems to confirm our most optimistic hopes for Blade Runner 2099. Unlike other legacyquels that try to coast by on bringing back actors and characters you remember, this series seems more focused on telling a new story in a familiar world.
When a new story attempts to build off something in the past, it can be tempting to bring back the elements of the original in an attempt to take advantage of recognition and remind audiences of what made the first version so great. But nostalgia can only go so far. Without an original take and engaging story, those moments only serve to remind us that the original was better.
Evolving the world and making it better may be a taller order — especially for a vast world like Blade Runner’s — but it’s really the only way to keep a franchise fresh and exciting. Blade Runner has already had one successful sequel with Blade Runner 2049. Now, with 2099, it may just go two for two.
