The Blade Runner franchise is expanding again with the upcoming release of Blade Runner 2099. Blade Runner 2099 is a miniseries that will serve as a sequel to the films. While its release date is unknown at the time of writing, the series already boasts a stacked cast, including Michelle Yeoh and Hunter Schafer.
Viewers interested in catching up on the franchise before Blade Runner 2099 can use our guide to find out where to watch every Blade Runner movie and TV show in release date order on platforms like Prime Video, Crunchyroll, and more.
Blade Runner (1982)
Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner is a cyberpunk, dystopian movie that follows “blade runner” Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), whose job is to hunt down and dispose of replicants, aka bioengineered humanoids. When tasked with retiring four illegal replicant trespassers, his sensitive mission becomes even more complicated when he falls in love with a replicant. Blade Runner initially received a lukewarm reception, both commercially and critically. However, the movie is now considered one of the greatest sci-fi dystopian films ever made, popularizing the cyberpunk subgenre and boasting groundbreaking visuals and worldbuilding with thought-provoking themes on the nature of humanity.
Soldier (1988)
Soldier isn’t officially part of the Blade Runner franchise, though writer David Webb Peoples confirmed he intended it to occur in the same universe. In the film, Sergeant Todd "3465" (Kurt Russell) has been raised since infancy by the military to be a killing machine but finds himself obsolete when the military replaces him with genetically engineered soldiers. He tries to find a new purpose on an abandoned colony on the planet Arcadia 234. While it doesn’t boast the scope of Blade Runner, Soldier is still worth a revisit from modern viewers as its small, intimate setting and action-packed premise perfectly frame its exploration of human relevancy in a changing world.
2036: Nexus Dawn (2017)
2036: Nexus Dawn is the first of the three prequel short films released to set the stage for Blade Runner’s long-awaited sequel. The short takes place 13 years before Blade Runner 2049, when Niander Wallace (Jared Leto), the CEO of Wallace Corporation, pitches his idea to lawmakers for a new brand of replicants to use as cheap labor. 2036: Nexus Dawn is just six minutes long, but it masterfully sets the stage for the franchise’s future by capturing Wallace’s greed and unchecked ambition as he goes to extreme lengths to prove that replicants’ potential value as labourers outweighs their risks.
2048: Nowhere to Run (2017)
2048: Nowhere to Run takes place one year before the sequel movie and is set in Los Angeles. The short gives the perspective of a replicant as it follows Sapper Morton (Dave Bautista) attempting to live an everyday life, selling leeches and befriending a young girl and her mother. However, when a group of delinquents attack the mother and daughter, Morton must choose between saving them and revealing his true identity. Bautista offers an excellent performance, capturing the complexity of replicants in such a way that leaves viewers wanting more. The short is also very informative, as Sapper returns briefly in the sequel.
Blade Runner: Black Out 2022 (2017)
While released after 2036: Nexus Dawn and 2048: Nowhere to Run, Blade Runner: Black Out 2022 takes place before the other two shorts, occurring just three years after the events of Blade Runner. Blade Runner: Black Out 2022 is an animated short in which rebel replicants Iggy (Jovan Jackson) and Trixie (Luci Christian) set out to destroy replicant manufacturer Tyrell Corporation, unwittingly paving the way for the Wallace Corporation to rise. The short boasts gorgeous visuals and offers the final piece of the puzzle regarding the post-Blade Runner world, as it establishes the event known as the Great Blackout in the sequel.
Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
Blade Runner 2049 is a sequel to Blade Runner, with Denis Villeneuve taking over directing from Scott. The film takes place 30 years after the events of the original movie, where replicant K (Ryan Gosling) works as a blade runner to retire rogue replicants. When he uncovers a shocking secret about replicants, it forces him to track down the missing Deckard to avoid an all-out war between replicants and humans. Blade Runner 2049 proved a worthy successor to Blade Runner, offering an even more visually dazzling entry that intriguingly expanded the lore and continued probing the original’s idea of what constitutes humanity.
Blade Runner: Black Lotus (2021)
Blade Runner: Black Lotus is an animated spinoff series that takes place between Blade Runner and Blade Runner 2049. The series centers on female replicant Elle (Arisa Shida/Jessica Henwick), suffering from amnesia. When she awakens in Los Angeles in 2032 with no memories, she sets out on a mission to solve the mystery of her identity and past. Blade Runner: Black Lotus recreates the Blade Runner universe in visually striking and beautiful animation while matching the cyberpunk aesthetic of the movies. However, it also differentiates itself with an entirely new and intriguing story of an amnesiac replicant seeking answers and vengeance.
Blade Runner 2099 (TBD)
Blade Runner 2099 is the first live-action TV series in the Blade Runner franchise. The series will serve as a sequel to the movies, set 50 years after Blade Runner 2049. It follows Cora (Hunter Schafer), a fugitive on the run who forges an unlikely alliance with replicant Olwen (Michelle Yeoh) to secure her brother’s future. Blade Runner 2099 doesn’t have a release date at the time of writing, though filming wrapped in late 2024. While few details aside from the cast and plot have been released, the premise holds potential for carrying on the Blade Runner legacy and aesthetic.
How To Watch 'Blade Runner' In Chronological Order
The chronological viewing order for the Blade Runner franchise (excluding the non-canonical Soldier) is as follows:
- Blade Runner
- Blade Runner: Black Out 2022
- Blade Runner: Black Lotus
- 2036: Nexus Dawn
- 2048: Nowhere to Run
- Blade Runner 2049
- Blade Runner 2099
Where To Watch 'Blade Runner' Movies And Shows Online
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