Blade Runner will probably never be the box office blockbuster it deserves to be, but there's a good chance the brilliant sci-fi franchise could succeed on the small screen.
As reported by our sister site Comic Book Movie, Alcon Television Group has partnered with Adult Swim and Crunchyroll for a new anime series called
Blade Runner-Black Lotus. Animation studio Sola Digital Arts will be the series, which will consist of 13 half-hour episodes.
Specific plot details are still being kept under wraps, but the series will be set between the events of Ridley Scott's original Blade Runner and the most recent
Blade Runner 2049, which was directed by Denis Villeneuve. More specifically, the story will take place in 2032, 13 years after Scott's original and 17 years prior to Villeneuve's sequel. The series is specifically said to be inspired by
Blade Runner 2049 and will include familiar characters from the
Blade Runner universe.
“I first saw ‘Blade Runner’ in 1982, at age 11,” said Jason DeMarco, SVP and creative director of Adult Swim on-air. “It has remained one of the defining films of my life. To be able to explore more of this universe, with the incredible talent we have on board, is a dream come true.”
The
Blade Runner franchise is no stranger to anime. Prior to the release of
Blade Runner 2049, fans were treated to three anime short prequels that set the stage for Villeneuve's sequel.
All 13 episodes of
Blade Runner-Black Lotus will be directed by Shinji Aramaki and Kenji Kamiyama. Shinichiro Watanabe, who wrote and directed the
Blade Runner Black Out 2022 anime short, will serve as creative producer.
Blade Runner-Black Lotus will air on Adult Swim's Toonami programming block. No premiere date has been announced as of yet.