Prime Video just dropped the first official images from Blade Runner 2099, and they show a Los Angeles that looks very different from what fans remember. The new series takes place 50 years after Blade Runner 2049, and in that time, everything has changed. The replicants won the war. Humans lost. Now, replicants run the city, and humans have become second-class citizens.
The first look arrived just before the show’s panel at San Diego Comic-Con, where stars Michelle Yeoh and Hunter Schafer appeared alongside the creative team. The series has been in development for about five years, and now viewers finally get to see what the team has been working on.
Replicants Take Over After a War
Between the events of Blade Runner 2049 and this new series, a replicant uprising changed everything. Showrunner Silka Luisa explained what happened during that time.
“There’s been a replicant uprising that feels like it’s been bubbling up. And between 2049 and 2099, that’s happened. So the war has happened, and the humans have lost. Our worst fears imagined.”
Luisa also described the new power structure in Los Angeles.
“The replicants are now the power brokers of the city. And humans are the second-class citizens.”
The series moves away from the rainy, dark look of the films. Luisa calls the new style “sunshine noir.” The weather is hot and sticky. The story takes place near the coast, including Santa Monica. It’s still the Blade Runner world, but with a different feel.
Michelle Yeoh Plays a Replicant Blade Runner Nearing Her End
Michelle Yeoh plays Olwen, a replicant who works as a Blade Runner. But there’s a catch. She only has days left to live. Replicants know exactly when their time will end.
“She’s in the final days of her life, so she knows she has only days left to live because replicants know down to the day when they’re gonna die. It’s certain and it’s definitive.”
Her story takes inspiration from Roy Batty, the replicant from the original 1982 film played by Rutger Hauer. But this time, the story comes from the replicant’s point of view. Luisa said the show explores the fear of dying, something everyone can relate to.
“You’re spiraling out. There’s a volatility, a danger, and a desperation to it, which I think Michelle really tapped into in her performance.”
Olwen is hunting a group of missing rogue replicants. She knows her time is running out, but she still has a job to do.
Hunter Schafer Plays a Human on the Run
Hunter Schafer, known for her role in Euphoria, plays Cora. She is a human who has spent her life running from Blade Runners. To survive, she takes on one final identity. She pretends to be a Blade Runner and partners with Olwen.
Cora’s life on the run has taken a toll on her.
“She’s a human who has lost her humanity. And the question for the series is: Once you’ve lost your humanity, can you regain it?”
The pair hunts a runaway replicant who hides a secret that could destroy the fragile city. In the trailer, Schafer’s character says, “Replicants, they keep taking it all away,” and asks, “How much longer until we have nothing? Until we are nothing?”
Ridley Scott and the Creative Team Behind the Series
Ridley Scott, who directed the original Blade Runner in 1982, serves as an executive producer. He was involved in the development process.
“It was really important for Ridley to be a part of the development process. Because both visually and in terms of story, there are mythological canon points in his film that we’re touching, and it was really important to both get his blessing and have his insight into what his original intentions were.”
Luisa also worked with Michael Green, who wrote Blade Runner 2049. The team also went back to the original source material, Philip K. Dick’s novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, to help build out the world for the series.
“We did return to the book for a lot of the world building. Because it’s a TV show and you have so many more hours to fill, we have this great opportunity to actually build out the world.”
No Returning Characters from the Films
Fans wondering if they will see Harrison Ford as Deckard or Ryan Gosling as K should not get their hopes up. The show takes place so far in the future that those characters are no longer around.
“We are taking place so much in the future that obviously none of the same characters are around.”
Instead, the series introduces a completely new set of characters while still connecting to the larger Blade Runner mythology.
The Cast and Production
Alongside Yeoh and Schafer, the series includes Dimitri Abold (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes) and Lewis Gribben (Somewhere Boy) as series regulars. The recurring cast features Tom Burke, Katelyn Rose Downey, Daniel Rigby, Johnny Harris, Amy Lennox, Sheila Atim, Matthew Needham, and Maurizio Lombardi.
Jonathan van Tulleken, who directed episodes of Shōgun and Dope Thief, directs the first two episodes. The series was mostly shot at Barrandov Studios in Prague, with additional production in Barcelona.
Release Date and Where to Watch
Blade Runner 2099 premieres on November 25, 2026, exclusively on Prime Video. All eight episodes will be available to stream in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.
The show’s trailer debuted at San Diego Comic-Con on July 24, 2026. Fans at the event got an early look at what the series has to offer.
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Fan Reactions to the First Look
After the first images and teaser dropped, viewers shared their excitement online. One person wrote, “The lighting, all the visuals, the tone, everything looks like movie quality.” Another fan said, “Blade Runner never fails to spark curiosity. Excited to see where this new chapter takes the story.” A third comment read, “I liked it, very well made, with great production values and a killer cast.”
The series brings the Blade Runner universe to television for the first time with a live-action show. After years of waiting, fans finally get to see what happens next in this sci-fi world.
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