When two films in a franchise come out thirty five years apart – that’s some kind of developement hell going on there – and are set thirty years apart, it makes sense that you might want a few pieces of bridging storytelling to connect the narrative dots.
So it is that the great chronological divide between Ridley Scott’s masterful Blade Runner, which came in 1982 and is set in 2019 and its sequel, Blade Runner 2049, helmed by Arrival‘s Denis Villeneuve, just in theatres now, is bridged with three incredibly original, imaginative short films that beautifully fill in the blanks, adding embellishment to Scott’s darkly intelligent universe in the process.
First up is a brilliant piece of dystopian anime, Blade Runner 2022: Lights Out by Japanese director Shinichiro Watanabe, where power failures lead to all manner of civilisation-wrecking consequences.
It’s followed by 2036: Nexus Dawn by Ridley Scott’s son Luke, where Niander Wallace (Jared Leto) introduces a new line of replicants, with the trio of films finished off by Luke Scott’s 2048: Nowhere to Run, in which Dave Bautista’s replicant is on the run from vengeful humans.
They’re all captivatingly intriguing, richly expanding the universe of Blade Runner, and increasing anticipation for Blade Runner 2049, which is already attracting some very positive reviews.
Blade Runner 2049 opens 5 October Australia and UK and 6 October USA.