In addition to a new Alien series for FX, Ridley Scott, the legendary director behind classic films such as Alien and Blade Runner, has publicly revealed that a live-action Blade Runner spin-off series is in development.
Scott shared that the Blade Runner universe will be returning yet again, but this time not to the big screen. Although details about the live-action spin-off have been kept under wraps, especially what streaming service or network it will be a part of, what Scott did reveal is that a pilot episode has already been written.
“We [have already] written the pilot for ‘Blade Runner’ and the bible. So, we’re already presenting ‘Blade Runner’ as a TV show, the first 10 hours,” shared Scott while sitting down with the BBC's radio news program Today. It is also still unclear when this upcoming series will take place on the Blade Runner Timeline and if it will feature any existing characters. This isn't the only recent Blade Runner content that has been making news. The Blade Runner universe returned earlier this month with the animated series Blade Runner: Black Lotus for Adult Swim.
The series takes place between Scott's 1982 original and Denis Villeneuve's 2017 sequel, Blade Runner 2049, which stars Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford in the lead roles. The animated series combines many story beats from the films, as it centers on a young woman trying to discover her identity after waking up with assassin skills and no recollection of her past. According to reports, it was back in September when rumors were brewing of more Blade Runner content returning after producer and CEO of Alcon Entertainment Andrew Kosove (Blade Runner 2049), revealed that he and his team were developing ways to expand the Blade Runner universe. “Our goal at Alcon, because we’re the keeper of the ‘Blade Runner’ IP, and therefore we take the canon of the franchise very seriously, because the fans, of which there are so many, have invested so much of themselves in the material," said Kosove to IndieWire.
While the Blade Runner live-action series will likely not be ready to release for quite a while, Scott has been keeping busy with his work on plenty of other projects. Other than his Alien series, which will see Fargo and Legion's Noah Hawley as showrunner, Scott's recently released historical epic The Last Duel and his biographical crime drama House of Gucci could possibly make a splash during awards season.
On top of that, Scott is set to direct his next feature, Kitbag, for Apple TV Plus. The film will reunite Scott with the Oscar-winning Joaquin Phoenix, who is set to play the French military leader Napoleon Bonaparte. Scott confirmed the film will begin principal photography on January 15, 2022.
Blade Runner and Blade Runner 2049 are available to stream on HBO MAX.
Source: BBC's Today