Ridley Scott is making a live-action Blade Runner show for Amazon

We live in an age of reboots, sequels and prequels. Here’s another one: Deadline reports that director Ridley Scott is producing Blade Runner 2099, a live-action series set in the sci-fi dystopia Scott introduced moviegoers to way back in 1982’s Blade Runner. The franchise has seen a resurgence of late, with Ryan Gosling holding down a new Blade Runner movie in 2017 and the animated Blade Runner: Black Lotus premiering on Adult Swim last year. This new show would be set further down the timeline than either of them.

Scott has mentioned working on this show before. “We’re already into having written the pilot for Blade Runner and the bible, so we’re already presenting Blade Runner as a TV show, which will probably be the first 10 hours,” he recently told BBC Radio 4’s Today. Dune director Denis Villeneuve helmed Blade Runner 2049, the one with Gosling, but with Scott being this involved with the TV project, perhaps he’ll take on directing duties himself.

We’ll probably know soon, as Deadline writes that Amazon Studios is “fast tracking scripts and eyeing potential production dates.” They’re also looking for staff.

Amazon Studios adds Blade Runner 2099 to its growing list of genre shows

Amazon is going hard on these big sci-fi and fantasy series. A lot has been made about how much they’re spending on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. The Wheel of Time is a pretty big undertaking as well. Blade Runner 2099 sounds like another tall order, but when you have Jeff Bezos’ war chest, there’s not much you can’t do.

Blade Runner is known for its noir-style moodiness, its serious engagement with sci-fi concepts, and its lavish production values. Scott is already toying with some of that with his original show Raised by Wolves over on HBO Max, but clearly the 84-year-old director still has lots of energy and ideas.

To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and sign up for our exclusive newsletter.

Get HBO, Starz, Showtime and MORE for FREE with a no-risk, 7-day free trial of Amazon Channels