The beloved cult classic that isBlade Runnerdidn’t fade away after 2017’sBlade Runner 2049. That world continues to live on in the trifecta of short films that have come out ever since, as well as the upcomingBlade Runner: Black Lotusanime series that just got fresh new trailers.
AfterBlade Runner 2049, director Denis Villeneuve paved the way for a series of prequel shorts: the animatedBlack Out 2022,2036: Nexus Dawnstarring Jared Leto and Benedict Wong, and2048: Nowhere to Runstarring Dave Bautista.Blade Runner: Black Lotustakes fans back to tech-noir Los Angeles, only now from the perspective of a rogue replicant named Elle.
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Black Lotuswill be directed by Shinji Aramaki and Kenji Kamiyama, produced by Sola Digital Arts, and it’s set to premiere this November 14 on bothAdult Swim and Crunchyroll. TheBlack Lotusanimated series will be primarily voiced by Japanese actors, although the English version will be the one airing on Adult Swim with back-to-back episodes before adopting a weekly run to round off all 13 episodes.
If early impressions mean anything then the 3D animated style in either one of the two trailers doesn’t lose out on any of thoseBlade Runnervibesthat have inspired so many creative minds. However, the partnering companies went the extra mile to release a preview of the show’s opening theme song, which happens to be Alessia Cara’s “Feel You Now” and feels oddly at home in the cyberpunk city.
Blade Runner’s legacy was fondly remembered this yearat the Oscars by Rick Deckard himself when Harrison Ford read out some of the movie’s first studio notes, right before presenting the award for best editing. Villeneuve, who currently has the much-awaitedDunereleasing worldwide, has spoken about the pressure behind directing the sequel to such a classic and age-defining movie, thoughBlade Runner 2049is just as loved by many due to how it distinguishes itself from the original.
Nevertheless,Black Lotusis not all theBlade Runnerfans can look forward to, as Nightdive Studios, famous for its restoration and remasters work, is currently working on anenhanced edition of the 1997Blade Runnergame. While that might be delayed for a while, there are still plenty of other cyberpunk games out there that aren’tCyberpunk 2077.
Blade Runner: Black Lotuswill premiere on June 30, 2025, only on Adult Swim and Crunchyroll.
