Photo: Alcon Entertainment
While Star Wars was for the fanboys and fangirls and Star Trek was for the sci-fi geeks, Blade Runner has always been for the cyberpunks. Fans of the seminal novel and film adaption finally got a sequel in Denis Villeneuve’s 2017 visually stunning Blade Runner 2049 that expanded on director Ridley Scott’s world and author Philip K. Dick’s themes, yet was a box office disappointment. Now Blade Runner is going to try its luck at anime.
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Alcon Television Group and Adult Swim’s announcement of Blade Runner-Black Lotus, a cyberpunk anime series makes perfect sense. The 13-episode series will be produced by animation studio Sola Digital Arts and directed by Shinji Aramaki and Kenji Kamiyama, who just finished the upcoming Ghost in the Shell reboot series. Going anime will cut down the cost, yet allow the filmmakers to expand on the neon-lit, neo-noir sci-fi world already established. You can get a preview of what that may look like from last year’s anime short film Blade Runner Black Out 2022.
Details of the Blade Runner-Black Lotus plot are still under wraps, but word is that it will take place in 2032 and will include some established characters from the Blade Runner universe. Juicy. But what does that mean? Here are a few things they should check off our Blade Runner listicle to make it worth our while.
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Blade Runner Black Lotus
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Replicant or Not
Inquiring minds still want to know. Is Deckard or replicant or not? They've teased us in both movies and there still isn't a definitive answer. We're guessing that they will drop more clues, but continue letting us play the guessing game.
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Deckard and Rachel
Black Lotus is set 13 years after the forbidden lovers ran away at the end of the original Blade Runner. Where did they go? What did they do? Did they fight about leaving dirty dishes in the sink?
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Flying Cars
A staple of the Blade Runner franchise. Since we still don't have them in real life, we can never have enough flying cars in our sci-fi films.
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Blade Runner Jackets
The only thing cooler than flying cars are the Blade Runner jackets worn by Deckard and Agent K.
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Eduardo Gaff
This origami-making LAPD Blade Runner is a fan favorite who has appeared in both movies. Weaving a familiar face into the Black Lotus storyline would help with continuity, plus we love us some Edward James Olmos.
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Trixie
Trixie was hands-down the best part of Blade Runner Black Out 2022. Although she met her demise, she is a replicant so you know there’s more where that came from.
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Hell LA
Much of the love for Blade Runner lies in the beauty of the futuristic world that Ridley Scott dreamed up. Let's hope for more of that neo-noir take on dystopian Los Angeles.
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Sapper Morton
With a name like that, you know this Nexus-8 replicant is no protein farmer, which he claimed to be to Agent K in Blade Runner 2049. The former combat medic who helped Deckard and Rachel hide their baby has to literally have some skeletons in his closet.
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Iggy Cygnus
The other star of Blade Runner Black Out 2022 survives, albeit with one less eye. The Nexus 8 replicant will most likely pay a big role in Black Lotus. Every good show needs someone with an eye-patch.
