The third prequel short to the upcoming BLADE RUNNER 2049 feature film has arrived. And this time, it’s longer and anime. BLADE RUNNER: BLACK OUT 2022 takes place three years after the original 1982 movie which was set in 2019 (write all the dates down on a Post-It note, that’s how we keep track). In 2022 replicants are blamed for planning and executing a massive terrorist attack that destroys large parts of Los Angeles and kills many humans.
Cowboy Bebop director Shinichiro Watanabe has created a prequel that directly cites the first film at points, complete with an Edward James Olmos “cameo”; it references precise cityscape imagery and also pays tribute by supplying new concepts in our understanding of the Nexus 6 and Nexus 8 replicant story.
At 14 minutes, BLACK OUT 2022 runs twice as long as the other two prequels, NEXUS DAWN and NOWHERE TO RUN. It does an excellent job of completing the story details fans need to know before approaching BLADE RUNNER 2049. The Denis Villeneuve movie premieres on Australian screens on October 5.
