Every ‘Blade Runner’ Movie and Show in Order, From the 1982 Original to 2099
‘Blade Runner’ has grown from a single, initially overlooked film into a sprawling franchise spanning feature films, short films, and animated and live action television. With ‘Blade Runner 2099’ now confirmed for its Prime Video debut, fans finally have a complete picture of how every piece of the saga fits together.
For newcomers and longtime followers alike, watching the franchise in chronological order can clarify just how much world building has gone into this universe since Ridley Scott first brought Rick Deckard to the screen. Below is every film and series in the ‘Blade Runner’ timeline, along with the details that define each entry.
‘Blade Runner’ (1982)
Ridley Scott directed the original ‘Blade Runner,’ based on Philip K. Dick’s 1968 novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, with Harrison Ford starring as Rick Deckard alongside Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Edward James Olmos. The film was produced by Michael Deeley with cinematography by Jordan Cronenweth and a score by Vangelis, and it was released on June 25, 1982, in the United States.
On a $30 million budget, the film brought in $41.8 million at the box office. Variety reported at the time that the movie earned $26 million in its summer run, which was respectable but not enough to crack that season’s top 10, especially while competing against ‘Rocky III.’ The film later grew into a cult favorite through home video and multiple re-edits, including a Director’s Cut and Scott’s Final Cut, cementing its reputation as a defining work of cyberpunk cinema.
‘Blade Runner: Black Out 2022’ (2017)
‘Blade Runner Black Out 2022’ is an anime short film directed by Shinichiro Watanabe, taking place three years after the events of the original ‘Blade Runner,’ as the Tyrell Corporation introduces its new Nexus-8 line of replicants and unrest follows. The short follows two replicants, Iggy and Trixie, along with a human named Ren, as they work together to trigger a citywide blackout in response to anti-replicant violence. It debuted on Crunchyroll on September 27, 2017, and stands as one of three short films made to bridge the gap before ‘Blade Runner 2049.’
The blackout depicted in the short erases the Tyrell Corporation’s replicant identity files and eventually leads to a prohibition on replicants, laying groundwork for the world seen in the feature sequel.
‘2036: Nexus Dawn’ (2017)
‘2036: Nexus Dawn’ was released on August 30, 2017, roughly five weeks ahead of ‘Blade Runner 2049,’ and stars Jared Leto as Niander Wallace alongside Benedict Wong. Directed by Luke Scott, son of original director Ridley Scott, the short introduces Niander Wallace Jr. as he presents a new Nexus-9 replicant to a group of lawmakers in an effort to have the prohibition on replicants lifted.
The story explains how Wallace acquired the Tyrell Corporation and began developing a new generation of replicants intended to help rebuild the planet’s environment. Along with the other two shorts, it fills in narrative gaps between the original film and its sequel.
‘2048: Nowhere to Run’ (2017)
‘2048: Nowhere to Run’ was released on September 16, 2017, about three weeks before ‘Blade Runner 2049,’ and stars Dave Bautista as Sapper Morton, the replicant character he plays in the feature film. The short was written by Hampton Fancher and Michael Green, who also wrote the feature, and directed by Luke Scott.
Set shortly before the events of ‘Blade Runner 2049,’ the short follows Sapper Morton as he protects a mother and her daughter from a group of thugs. Together with ‘Black Out 2022’ and ‘2036: Nexus Dawn,’ it completes the trio of prequel shorts released in 2017.
‘Blade Runner 2049’ (2017)
Denis Villeneuve directed the legacy sequel ‘Blade Runner 2049,’ with Ryan Gosling starring alongside a returning Harrison Ford. The film expanded the original’s mythology and continued exploring questions of identity and humanity within the replicant conflict.
‘Blade Runner 2049’ grossed approximately $630 million worldwide and earned seven Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actor, despite underperforming at the box office relative to its budget. The film’s critical reception was considerably stronger than its commercial run, echoing the trajectory of the original ‘Blade Runner.’
‘Blade Runner: Black Lotus’ (2021)
‘Blade Runner: Black Lotus’ is a 13 episode anime series directed by Kenji Kamiyama and Shinji Aramaki, with Shinichiro Watanabe serving as creative producer, and it aired on Adult Swim’s Toonami block from November 14, 2021, to February 6, 2022, while also streaming on Crunchyroll in Japanese with subtitles. The story is set in 2032 and follows an amnesiac replicant named Elle who wakes in the desert and travels to Los Angeles, where she works to uncover her identity and seek revenge on a group of hunters who once targeted her and others for sport.
The English and Japanese voice cast included Jessica Henwick, Arisa Shida, Will Yun Lee, Samira Wiley, Brian Cox, Wes Bentley, Josh Duhamel, Peyton List, Stephen Root, Barkhad Abdi, Gregg Henry, Henry Czerny, and Jason Spisak, among others. A follow up comic book series continued the story in late 2022, and a behind the scenes book covering the making of the show was released the same November.
‘Blade Runner 2099’ (2026)
‘Blade Runner 2099’ is a live action television series starring Michelle Yeoh and Hunter Schafer, taking place fifty years after the events of ‘Blade Runner 2049.’ Created by Silka Luisa, the series is once again drawn from Philip K. Dick’s 1968 novel, and it follows Cora, a fugitive replicant played by Schafer, who teams up with Olwen, an aging Blade Runner played by Yeoh, to protect her brother.
The show is set in Los Angeles in 2099, where Olwen, a veteran Blade Runner nearing the end of her life, partners with a mysterious new recruit, Cora, to investigate a widening conspiracy that reaches back into the city’s darkest history. Series regulars also include Dimitri Abold and Lewis Gribben.
Showrunner Silka Luisa has described the series as an exploration of what it means to be human in a world where humanity is no longer the dominant force, noting that the extended episode count allowed the team to build out parts of the universe fans have long wanted to see. The show reimagines the power dynamic between replicants and their creators, with replicants holding power in the city following the uprising while humans have become something closer to second class citizens.
Star Tom Burke has said the series leans closer to the aesthetic of the original ‘Blade Runner’ film than to ‘Blade Runner 2049,’ describing it as carrying the same eclectic mix of cultures and time periods found in Scott’s original. At a Comic-Con panel on July 24, 2026, Prime Video confirmed that all eight episodes will premiere on November 25, 2026, exclusively on the platform in more than 240 countries and territories.
With eight new episodes on the way this November, the ‘Blade Runner’ timeline is more complete than it has ever been, and it will be interesting to see how fans of Deckard and Olwen react once Cora’s story finally airs.
