Blade Runner: Black Lotus actress, Jessica Henwick, reveals her emotional connection to the iconic sci-fi movie Blade Runner. The new animated series created by Adult Swim and Crunchyroll made its premiere on November 14. Set in 2032, the series focuses on a female replicant named Elle, voiced by Henwick. The animated series documents the events following the so-called Black Out, an event that occurred following Ridley Scott’s 1982 original film, restricting the production of replicants and erasing all electronic data.
Following on from both the original film and the new series is Denis Villeneuve’s sequel film, Blade Runner 2049, where the manufacturing of replicants has accelerated under the full control of the Wallace Corporation. Set over a decade before the sequel film, Blade Runner: Black Lotus explores the events leading up to the ascension of future business overlord Niander Wallace Jr. (voiced by Wes Bentley). The origins of Henwick’s Blade Runner character, Elle, are something of a mystery in the series, as she awakens with no knowledge of her identity, leaving some initial speculation over her true nature and purpose.
In an interview with Collider, Henwick said that she’d long held an affection for the Blade Runner franchise due to her father. Revealing that he would quote the iconic “tears in the rain monologue” from the original film, Henwick said she first watched the picture to better understand what her father was saying. “I just remember being pretty gobsmacked. I’d never seen anything like it,” she admitted. “It stays with you. Such a hauntingly beautiful film.” Check out her full statement below:
“My dad loves Blade Runner and used to quote the tears in the rain monologue to myself and my brothers. Finally, it was like, “Okay, you have to show us what you keep quoting because none of us understand what you’re saying. What are you talking about?” So, I don’t know how old I was. I was probably 12 or 13, or maybe a little older. My dad sat me down and I just remember being pretty gobsmacked. I’d never seen anything like it. It stays with you. It’s such a hauntingly beautiful film. The world-building is so immersive. It really hasn’t aged to me. I watched it again, a couple of years ago, and I was like, “Yes, it’s still awesome.”
Henwick has enjoyed involvement in a number of major fantastical and sci-fi oriented projects. From 2015 she became known for her role as Nymeria Sand in HBO’s Game of Thrones, later appearing in the likes of Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Marvel’s Iron Fist. More recently, she secured a place in Lana Wachowski’s The Matrix Resurrections, set to debut in December. Still, her role in Blade Runner: Black Lotus further solidifies her as a force to be reckoned with and her connection to the original film makes that all the more apparent.
Blade Runner: Black Lotus continues the franchise’s tradition of asking what defines a person as human and why it matters at all. The "tears in the rain" monologue, delivered by Rutger Hauer's Roy Batty, is one of the most iconic moments from the original film and highlighted its themes in a beautiful way. Through Elle, a character who begins the series without any memory of who or what she truly is, these themes are explored again. Living in a world where replicants memories can be implanted and altered, Elle’s mysterious past leaves the door to her true identity wide open. Regardless of the truth, it seems like Henwick, who was clearly touched by the themes of the original film, is simply glad to be part of Elle’s journey.
Source: Collider