The new Blade Runner sequel series just got a lot more interesting. As production of the limited series starts taking shape in Prague, Deadline revealed that none other than Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All At Once) has joined the cast. Her role has not been disclosed. Blade Runner 2099 will once again visit the futuristic replicant world in which the lines between being human and being artificially created blur as time passes by. Prime Video is yet to announce a release window for the series.
Just like Yeoh‘s character, details of the story from Blade Runner 2099 have not been made public so far. Fans of the dystopian franchise want to know, of course, if we can expect to see Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny) and Ryan Gosling (The Fall Guy) at some point — even though the ending of Blade Runner 2049 didn’t leave much room for that. It’s safe to say that the series will once again touch on the fundamental question of our existence, which is: what makes us human?
Yeoh recently made headlines as the first Asian person to win the Best Actress category for her role in Everything Everywhere All At Once, but her career spans some decades of unforgettable movies, including modern classic Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. She’s recently starred in a slate of mainstream projects, including Marvel‘s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, A Haunting in Venice, Netflix series The Brothers Sun and a major role in Star Trek: Discovery. She’s also slated to star in the next three sequels from James Cameron‘s Avatar franchise.
‘Blade Runner’ Is As Timely As Ever
In the age of AI and all the ethical discussions around it, the Blade Runner franchise is certainly a franchise that can contribute to the conversation. Ever since the release of the first installment in 1982, the sci-fi story has been at the center of topics involving what’s real, what’s fabricated and what can’t be replicated. Even though its belated sequel greatly expanded on these topics, it has been seven years since its release and technology has changed a lot over the last few years.
Blade Runner 2099 is once again inspired by the Philip K. Dick novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and Silka Luisa (Halo) serves as showrunner and executive producer. The series is also co-executive produced by Ridley Scott (Gladiator 2), and the first two episodes will be directed by Jonathan van Tulleken (Shōgun).
Prime Video is yet to announce further details from Blade Runner 2099, including additional cast members and expected release window.
via Collider