Prolific director Ridley Scott (Gladiator, Alien) has confirmed the existence of a pilot for a television show based around his 1982 science fiction film Blade Runner, in an interview with BBC Radio 4, Scott talked about the existence of the pilot and confirmed that the episode is written already.
“We have already written the pilot for Blade Runner and the bible,” Scott said in the interview. “So, we’re already presenting Blade Runner as a TV show, probably the first 10 hours.”
The show will occur in the same universe as the original movie and the 2017 sequel Blade Runner 2049, but it is unknown if any of the original characters (or cast members) will appear in this series.
Details on the show are scarce, but reports from IGN and Variety give some inkling into what fans can expect. For instance, reports say that the show will be a ten-episode ark that will premiere on one of the many streaming services out there.
This show is also not the first show based on the Blade Runner series. The animated series Blade Runner: Black Lotus premiered on Adult Swim on Nov. 14th and focuses on yet another replicant hunter from the franchise’s canon. This show is not the only show based on Scott’s work. An Alien show based on his beloved franchise has also been green-lit by FX and is in production already.
Scott has been working on his newest movie, House of Gucci, starring Lady Gaga (A Star Is Born, American Horror Story), Adam Driver (The Last Duel, Star Wars: The Force Awakens), and Al Pacino (Scarface, The Godfather). He is also developing his Napoleon Bonaparte movie Kitbag, starring Joaquin Phoenix (Inherent Vice, Joker) and Jodie Comer (Free Guy, Killing Eve).
Blade Runner and Blade Runner 2049 both follow characters known as blade runners who hunt down and “decommission” replicants: human-like robots. The original movie garnered a massive following, so big that the popularity spawned the 2017 sequel, and there are rumors of another film in the near future. There is no word as to whether or not this show will affect those very rumors.