Blade Runner is one of the most iconic cult classics ever made, Blade Runner 2049 is one of the most accomplished legacy sequels ever, and now the franchise will return with the Amazon Prime Video series Blade Runner 2099. Fans understandably have their reservations, as certain stigmas come with a TV series continuation of a movie franchise. They generally don't have as much effort put into them and the budget isn't as high, but there are just as many reasons to be excited.
If any movie-turned-TV show could be great, it's Blade Runner, as its one-of-a-kind tone and original sci-fi concepts could carry Amazon all the way to a few Emmy wins. But between bringing back the 2049 characters, delivering on the promise of a replicant uprising, and wanting world-class cinematographers behind the camera, fans have some huge demands.
Don't Revisit Original Characters
When people think Blade Runner, they also think of Harrison Ford, as Deckard is one of many of his iconic 80s characters. And he returned in Blade Runner 2049 and had a surprisingly heartfelt send-off. That's exactly why TheRealDrSarcasmo thinks that neither Deckard nor Rachel should return for the Amazon Prime series.
The Redditor explains, "It's a fascinating world. Why tie it to what has already been covered? That's the problem the Star Wars universe seems unable to move past." The user makes a good point, as the Star Wars Disney+ series are all taking place within a relatively short time frame and covering grounds that have already been covered. The Blade Runner universe is so expansive that it doesn't have to go back to the same group of characters.
It Learns From Amazon Prime Video's Mistakes
A Blade Runner series isn't the first Amazon Prime Video show. Just like every other streamer, Amazon has been quick to develop and produce many of its own series, but the studio doesn't have a great track record. TaskForceD00mer thinks the series should learn from the general responses to its other shows, noting, "I am just hoping this show is more Expanse and less Rings of Power."
The Rings of Power isn't getting quite the reception that was expected, as the Lord of the Rings series has gotten mixed reviews despite its sky-high movie budget. It just goes to show that a huge budget doesn't always mean a show will end up great.
Bring Back Niander Wallace
Blade Runner 2049 introduced a ton of new characters, and one of them was Niander Wallace (Jared Leto), the evil head of Wallace Corporation who wants Deckard and Rachel's replicant child to experiment on. Blakewhitlow09 notes that the character had the most potential but was completely wasted in the 2017 movie, which is why Leto should return as Niander.
The Redditor posits, "I was really hoping to see what happened after it ended. I mean, Jared Leto's character was so under-utilized. I wanted more of that." Many think the Blade Runner series should be a trilogy, and that a threequel could follow Wallace continuing his attempt to perfect replicant reproduction, which was left open-ended.
Depict The Replicant Uprising
While Blade Runner 2049 was a great movie that definitively answered the questions that were left unanswered in the 1982 original film, the sequel created some more questions of its own. Along with Wallace trying to achieve replicant reproduction, a lot of the 2017 movie was spent setting up a sequel with a replicant uprising.
Thetruemask has way more questions than any fan and wants to see the answers in the series. The Redditor asks, "Will it start a war? An uprising? Will replicants gain independence as a species? Will Wallace use this to create more replicants rapidly to keep the world in his stranglehold? Lot of ways to go." Considering that the show's name is Blade Runner 2099, there is a possibility the universe takes place 50 years after its last, showing the consequences of such war and where everyone aligns if this idea comes to fruition.
Bring Back Joi
Joi (Ana de Armas) is another one of Blade Runner 2049's original characters, and it was the actor's breakthrough role. She was a perfect sidekick to K while it lasted, and she was part of the reason why the sequel had way more of an emotional toll on audiences than the first film.
Barebutchbush wants to see the character back more than anyone, noting, "Sign Ana de Armas! We need way more Joi." Blade Runner 2049 is undoubtedly one of the best Ana de Armas movies, but she has since become a movie star with lead roles in both The Gray Man and Blonde this year alone. So, being cast in an Amazon Prime series as a supporting character is something of a backstep.
Be Like Blade Runner Black Out 2022
There have already been spin-offs of the movies, most notably the Adult Swim animated series Blade Runner: Black Lotus, but CJ_guns recalls the 2017 short movie Blade Runner Black Out 2022. The short serves as a prequel to 2049 and fills in the gaps between the two main movies.
The Redditor thinks the live-action series could work in a similar way, noting, "I can see other stories working in the canon. The offshoots like Blade Runner Black Out 2022 were good." Being an anthology series where each episode is set during a different time period could work well. But if the series were to borrow anything from the short movie, it's the incredible soundtrack from electronic musician Flying Lotus.
Roger Deakins Should Shoot It
HelloYou57 wants Roger Deakins behind the camera, praying, "I hope to God they get Roger Deakins to work on this." Deakins is a celebrated cinematography and shot Blade Runner 2049, along with tons of other beloved classics. He comes with a high price tag as he's one of the most in-demand cinematographers of all time and by far one of the best when it comes to digital photography.
But Amazon's pockets aren't empty, so they could pull out all the stops just like they did for The Rings of Power and hire Deakins. However, the Blade Runner franchise doesn't have half the fanbase that Lord of the Rings does, so it might not be worth it from a financial standpoint.
Officer K Should Return
Officer K's (Ryan Gosling) story arc was so bittersweet, as not being Dekard's offspring was one of the biggest plot twists in the movie, but he then had to live with the fact that he doesn't have a family and isn't unique, which was such a low-spirited end for the character. However, his story could continue in the series, and Ulyssesintothepast wants that more than any other user.
The Redditor notes, "I really wish Officer K could come back in some way. Gosling was incredibly good in that movie and I haven't ever really seen any praise for his performance during any discussion on the film." K is one of Gosling's most iconic roles, but like Ana de Armas, Gosling's schedule is filled for years with film and producing the upcoming Barbie, then The Gray Man 2, then a million other things.
It Should Be Unapologetically Cyberpunk
Whether it's the sci-fi noir setting or the synth-heavy score, the original Blade Runner practically created the cyberpunk aesthetic. And Gullydowny thinks the series should double down on that tone. Along with being one of the most positive about the news, the Redditor notes, "Seems well suited to TV, they can take their time and really give us the atmosphere. I’d like it to be 'Blade Runnery' though with synth music and New-Wave hairdos and fire coming from smokestacks."
Not many series are so tone-oriented right now, especially not a tone that's so dark. Blade Runner is so dark and gritty that L.A. is constantly rainy, and though that's completely unrealistic, that cyberpunk vibe would make for such an aesthetically pleasing series.