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''Blade Runner'' is an American neo-noir science fiction media franchise originating from the 1968 novel '' Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?'' by Philip K. Dick, about the character of Rick Deckard. The book has been adapted into several media, including films, comics, a stage play, and a radio serial. The first film adaptation was ''
Blade Runner ''Blade Runner'' is a 1982 science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott, and written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples. Starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Edward James Olmos, it is an adaptation of Philip K. Dick's ...
'', directed by Ridley Scott in 1982. Although the film initially underperformed at the American box office, it became a
cult classic A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...
, and has had a significant influence on science fiction. A novelization and a comic adaptation of the film were released in the same year. From 1995 to 2000, three novels serving as sequels to both ''Blade Runner'' and the original novel were written by
K. W. Jeter Kevin Wayne Jeter (born March 26, 1950) is an American science fiction and horror author known for his literary writing style, dark themes, and paranoid, unsympathetic characters. He has written novels set in the ''Star Trek'' and '' Star War ...
, a friend of Dick's. A film sequel to ''Blade Runner'', ''
Blade Runner 2049 ''Blade Runner 2049'' is a 2017 American neo-noir science fiction film directed by Denis Villeneuve and written by Hampton Fancher and Michael Green. A sequel to the 1982 film ''Blade Runner'', the film stars Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford, wit ...
'', was released in 2017. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of ''Blade Runner'' in 2012, a short film was released, and in the lead up to the release of ''Blade Runner 2049'', several more short films detailing events that occurred between 2019 and 2049 were released. The influence of the franchise has helped spawn the cyberpunk genre.


Fictional universe


Replicants

A replicant is a fictional bioengineered or biorobotic android in the ''Blade Runner'' franchise. Virtually identical to adult humans, replicants typically have superior strength, agility, and variable intelligence depending on the model. Because of their similarity to humans, a replicant can only be detected by means of the fictional Voight-Kampff test in which emotional responses are provoked; replicants' responses differ from humans' responses. Nexus 6 replicants also have a safety mechanism, namely a four-year lifespan, to prevent them from developing empathic cognition and therefore immunity to a Voight-Kampff machine. Philip K. Dick's novel '' Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?'', the inspiration for ''
Blade Runner ''Blade Runner'' is a 1982 science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott, and written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples. Starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Edward James Olmos, it is an adaptation of Philip K. Dick's ...
'', used the term android (or "andy") rather than "replicant"; ''Blade Runner'' director Ridley Scott requested a new, separate term that did not have preconceptions from
David Peoples David Webb Peoples (born February 9, 1940) is an American screenwriter who wrote '' Blade Runner'' (1982), '' Unforgiven'' (1992), and '' 12 Monkeys'' (1995). He was nominated for Oscar, Golden Globe, and BAFTA awards. He won the best screenpla ...
. As Peoples was rewriting the film's screenplay he consulted his daughter, who was then involved in biochemistry and microbiology, who suggested the term "replicating", the biological process of a cell making a copy of itself. From that, either Peoples or his daughter (each would recall later it was the other) coined the term replicant, which was inserted into Hampton Fancher's screenplay.


Voight-Kampff machine

The Voight-Kampff machine is a fictional interrogation tool, originating in the 1968 novel '' Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?''. The Voight-Kampff is a polygraph-like machine used by blade runners to determine whether or not an individual is a replicant. It measures bodily functions such as blush response, respiration, heart rate and eye movement in response to questions dealing with empathy. In the film two replicants take the test, Leon and Rachael, and Deckard tells Tyrell that it usually takes 20 to 30 cross-referenced questions to distinguish a replicant; in contrast with the book, where it is stated it only takes "six or seven" questions to make a determination. In ''Blade Runner'', it takes Deckard more than one hundred questions to determine that Rachael is a replicant.


Spinner

Spinner is a nickname given for the type of flying car featured throughout the ''Blade Runner'' universe; they are seen in ''Blade Runner'' and ''Blade Runner 2049''. The police variant of the vehicle in the original movie features a small "Spinner" logo attached to driver's door between "caution" and Japanese " 警察" labels; today the model can be seen in Seattle
MoPOP The ''Manual of Patent Office Practice'' (MOPOP) is a manual for patent agents and patent examiners, published by the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO). It documents the procedures and practices relative to the prosecution of patent app ...
. Since the logo was not clearly visible on low-resolution home-video copies, it was often misspelled as "Skimmer", before high-resolution editions of the movie were released. These vehicles can drive on the ground as a normal car, take off vertically, cruise and hover. Spinners use an unspecified form of jet propulsion, similar to
Vertical Take-Off and Landing A vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft is one that can take off and land vertically without relying on a runway. This classification can include a variety of types of aircraft including helicopters as well as thrust-vectoring fixed-win ...
aircraft. In ''Blade Runner'', they are used extensively by the
LAPD The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), officially known as the City of Los Angeles Police Department, is the municipal police department of Los Angeles, California California is a state in the Western United States, located along t ...
to survey the general population, as well as by wealthy entrepreneurs. The Spinner was designed by Syd Mead. The Spinner has been replicated in films such as ''
Back to the Future Part II ''Back to the Future Part II'' is a 1989 American science fiction film directed by Robert Zemeckis from a screenplay by Bob Gale and a story by both. It is the sequel to the 1985 film '' Back to the Future'' and the second installment in the '' ...
'', ''
The Fifth Element ''The Fifth Element'' is a 1997 English-language French science fiction action film conceived and directed by Luc Besson, as well as co-written by Besson and Robert Mark Kamen. It stars Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman, Chris Tucker, and Milla Jov ...
'' and the ''Star Wars'' prequel trilogy.


Background

Interest in adapting Philip K. Dick's novel '' Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?'' developed shortly after its 1968 publication. Director
Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Scorsese emerged as one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era. He is the recipient of many major accolades, inclu ...
was interested in filming the novel, but never
optioned In the film industry, an option is a contractual agreement pertaining to film rights between a potential film producer (such as a movie studio, a production company, or an individual) and the author of source material, such as a book, play, or s ...
it. Producer
Herb Jaffe Herb Jaffe (May 20, 1921 – December 7, 1991) was an independent film producer in the United States. Biography He was born in Brooklyn, New York, and began his career as a literary agent, working for the likes of: Paddy Chayefsky – '' Ma ...
optioned it in the early 1970s, but Dick was unimpressed with the screenplay written by Herb's son Robert: "Jaffe's screenplay was so terribly done ... Robert flew down to Santa Ana to speak with me about the project. And the first thing I said to him when he got off the plane was, 'Shall I beat you up here at the airport, or shall I beat you up back at my apartment? The screenplay by Hampton Fancher was optioned in 1977. Producer
Michael Deeley Michael Deeley (born 6 August 1932) is an Academy Award-winning British film producer known for such motion pictures as ''The Italian Job'' (1969), ''The Deer Hunter'' (1978), and ''Blade Runner'' (1982). He is also a founding member and Honora ...
became interested in Fancher's draft and convinced director Ridley Scott to film it. Scott had previously declined the project, but after leaving the slow production of '' Dune'', wanted a faster-paced project to take his mind off his older brother's death. He joined the project on February 21, 1980, and managed to push up the promised Filmways financing from US$13 million to $15 million. Fancher's script focused more on environmental issues and less on issues of humanity and religion, which are prominent in the novel and Scott wanted changes. Fancher found a cinema treatment by
William S. Burroughs William Seward Burroughs II (; February 5, 1914 – August 2, 1997) was an American writer and visual artist, widely considered a primary figure of the Beat Generation and a major postmodern author who influenced popular cultur ...
for
Alan E. Nourse Alan Edward Nourse (August 11, 1928 – July 19, 1992) was an American science fiction writer and physician. He wrote both juvenile and adult science fiction, as well as nonfiction works about medicine and science. His SF works sometimes focused ...
's novel '' The Bladerunner'' (1974), titled '' Blade Runner (a movie)''. Scott liked the name, so Deeley obtained the rights to the titles. Eventually he hired
David Peoples David Webb Peoples (born February 9, 1940) is an American screenwriter who wrote '' Blade Runner'' (1982), '' Unforgiven'' (1992), and '' 12 Monkeys'' (1995). He was nominated for Oscar, Golden Globe, and BAFTA awards. He won the best screenpla ...
to rewrite the script and Fancher left the job over the issue on December 21, 1980, although he later returned to contribute additional rewrites. Having invested over $2.5 million in pre-production, as the date of commencement of principal photography neared, Filmways withdrew financial backing. In ten days Deeley had secured $21.5 million in financing through a three-way deal between The Ladd Company (through Warner Bros.), the Hong Kong-based producer Sir Run Run Shaw and Tandem Productions. Philip K. Dick became concerned that no one had informed him about the film's production, which added to his distrust of Hollywood. After Dick criticized an early version of Hampton Fancher's script in an article written for the Los Angeles ''Select TV Guide'', the studio sent Dick the David Peoples rewrite. Although Dick died shortly before the film's release, he was pleased with the rewritten script and with a 20-minute special effects test reel that was screened for him when he was invited to the studio. Despite his well-known skepticism of Hollywood in principle, Dick enthused to Ridley Scott that the world created for the film looked exactly as he had imagined it.Sammon, p. 284 He said, "I saw a segment of Douglas Trumbull's special effects for ''Blade Runner'' on the KNBC-TV news. I recognized it immediately. It was my own interior world. They caught it perfectly." He also approved of the film's script, saying, "After I finished reading the screenplay, I got the novel out and looked through it. The two reinforce each other, so that someone who started with the novel would enjoy the movie and someone who started with the movie would enjoy the novel." The motion picture was dedicated to Dick. Principal photography of ''Blade Runner'' began on March 9, 1981, and ended four months later. In 1992, Ford revealed, "''Blade Runner'' is not one of my favorite films. I tangled with Ridley." Apart from friction with the director, Ford also disliked the voiceovers: "When we started shooting it had been tacitly agreed that the version of the film that we had agreed upon was the version without voiceover narration. It was a nightmare. I thought that the film had worked without the narration. But now I was stuck re-creating that narration. And I was obliged to do the voiceovers for people that did not represent the director's interests." "I went kicking and screaming to the studio to record it." The narration monologues were written by an uncredited Roland Kibbee. In 2006, Scott was asked "Who's the biggest pain in the arse you've ever worked with?", he replied: "It's got to be Harrison ... he'll forgive me because now I get on with him. Now he's become charming. But he knows a lot, that's the problem. When we worked together it was my first film up and I was the new kid on the block. But we made a good movie." Ford said of Scott in 2000: "I admire his work. We had a bad patch there, and I'm over it." In 2006 Ford reflected on the production of the film saying: "What I remember more than anything else when I see ''Blade Runner'' is not the 50 nights of shooting in the rain, but the voiceover ... I was still obliged to work for these clowns that came in writing one bad voiceover after another." Ridley Scott confirmed in the summer 2007 issue of ''
Total Film ''Total Film'' is a British film magazine published 13 times a year (published monthly and a summer issue is added every year since issue 91, 2004, which is published between July and August issue) by Future Publishing. The magazine was launched i ...
'' that Harrison Ford contributed to the ''Blade Runner'' Special Edition DVD, and had already recorded his interviews. "Harrison's fully on board", said Scott. The
Bradbury Building The Bradbury Building is an architectural landmark in downtown Los Angeles, California, United States. Built in 1893, the five-story office building is best known for its extraordinary skylit atrium of access walkways, stairs and elevators, and t ...
in downtown Los Angeles served as a filming location, and a Warner Bros.
backlot A backlot is an area behind or adjoining a movie studio containing permanent exterior buildings for outdoor scenes in filmmaking or television productions, or space for temporary set construction. Uses Some movie studios build a wide variety of ...
housed the LA 2019 streets. Other locations included the Ennis-Brown House and the
2nd Street Tunnel __NOTOC__ The 2nd Street Tunnel is a widely filmed and photographed tunnel on 2nd Street under Bunker Hill in Downtown Los Angeles, California. The ''Los Angeles Times'' described it as "the most recognizable city landmark most Americans have ...
. Test screenings resulted in several changes including adding a voice-over, a happy ending and the removal of a Holden hospital scene. The relationship between the filmmakers and the investors was difficult, which culminated in Deeley and Scott being fired but still working on the film. Crew members created T-shirts during filming saying, "Yes Guv'nor, My Ass" that mocked Scott's unfavorable comparison of U.S. and British crews; Scott responded with a T-shirt of his own, "Xenophobia Sucks" making the incident known as the T-shirt war. In June 2009, '' The New York Times'' reported that Scott and his brother, director
Tony Scott Anthony David Leighton Scott (21 June 1944 – 19 August 2012) was an English film director and producer. He was known for directing highly successful action and thriller films such as '' Top Gun'' (1986), ''Beverly Hills Cop II'' (1987), ''Da ...
, were working on a series of 5–10 minute shorts, ''Purefold'', inspired by ''Blade Runner'' and aimed first at the
web Web most often refers to: * Spider web, a silken structure created by the animal * World Wide Web or the Web, an Internet-based hypertext system Web, WEB, or the Web may also refer to: Computing * WEB, a literate programming system created by ...
and then perhaps television. Due to rights problems, the series was not to be linked too closely to the characters or events of the 1982 film. On February 7, 2010, it was announced that production on ''Purefold'' had ceased, due to funding problems. On March 3, 2011, it was reported that
Alcon Entertainment Alcon Entertainment, LLC is an American film production company, founded in 1997 by film producers Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove. Since its establishment, Alcon Entertainment has developed and financed films that are ultimately distribut ...
, a production company financed by
Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
, was "in final discussions to secure film, television and ancillary franchise rights to produce prequels and sequels to the iconic 1982 science-fiction thriller ''
Blade Runner ''Blade Runner'' is a 1982 science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott, and written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples. Starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Edward James Olmos, it is an adaptation of Philip K. Dick's ...
''." It was also reported that month that Christopher Nolan was desired as director. On August 18, 2011, it was announced that Ridley Scott would direct and produce a new ''Blade Runner'' film, although work would not begin until at least 2013. Producer Andrew A. Kosove suggested that
Harrison Ford Harrison Ford (born July 13, 1942) is an American actor. His films have grossed more than $5.4billion in North America and more than $9.3billion worldwide, making him the seventh-highest-grossing actor in North America. He is the recipient o ...
, who had starred in the original film, was unlikely to be involved. Scott said that the film was "liable to be a sequel" but without the previous cast, and that he was close to finding a writer who "might be able to help imdeliver". On February 6, 2012, Kosove stated: "It is absolutely, patently false that there has been any discussion about Harrison Ford being in ''Blade Runner''. To be clear, what we are trying to do with Ridley now is go through the painstaking process of trying to break the back of the story ... The casting of the movie could not be further from our minds at this moment." When Scott was asked about the possibility of a sequel in October 2012, he said, "It's not a rumor—it's happening. With Harrison Ford? I don't know yet. Is he too old? Well, he was a Nexus-6 so we don't know how long he can live. And that's all I'm going to say at this stage." Scott said in November 2014 that he would not direct the film and would instead produce; that filming would begin in late 2014 or 2015, and that Ford's character would only appear in "the third act" of the sequel. On February 26, 2015, the sequel was confirmed, with Denis Villeneuve as its director. Ford was confirmed to be returning as Deckard; so too Hampton Fancher, one of the two writers of the original film. The film was expected to enter production in mid-2016.


Films


''Blade Runner'' (1982)

''Blade Runner'', the first film in the franchise, is a 1982 neo-noir science fiction film, serving as a loose
adaptation In biology, adaptation has three related meanings. Firstly, it is the dynamic evolutionary process of natural selection that fits organisms to their environment, enhancing their evolutionary fitness. Secondly, it is a state reached by the po ...
of Philip K. Dick's 1968 novel '' Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?''. The film is set in a dystopian Los Angeles of 2019, in which genetically bioengineered
replicant A replicant is a fictional bioengineered humanoid featured in the 1982 film '' Blade Runner'' and the 2017 sequel ''Blade Runner 2049'' which is physically indistinguishable from an adult human and often possesses superhuman strength and intel ...
s, which are visually indistinguishable from adult humans, are manufactured by the Tyrell Corporation to work on off-world colonies. Those that escape and return to Earth are hunted down and "retired" by special police operatives known as "blade runners". The story focuses on burnt-out expert blade runner Rick Deckard, who reluctantly agrees to take on one last assignment to hunt down a group of recently escaped replicants led by
Roy Batty ''Blade Runner'' is a 1982 American neo-noir science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott, which stars Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Edward James Olmos. Written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples, the film is an adaptation of ...
. During his investigations, Deckard meets Rachael, an advanced experimental replicant who causes him to question his attitude towards replicants and what it means to be human. Starring
Harrison Ford Harrison Ford (born July 13, 1942) is an American actor. His films have grossed more than $5.4billion in North America and more than $9.3billion worldwide, making him the seventh-highest-grossing actor in North America. He is the recipient o ...
, Rutger Hauer,
Sean Young Mary Sean Young (born November 20, 1959) is an American actress. She is particularly known for working in sci-fi films, although she has performed roles in a variety of genres. Young's early roles include the independent romance '' Jane Aust ...
, and
Edward James Olmos Edward James Olmos (born February 24, 1947) is an American actor, director, producer, and activist. He is best known for his roles as Lieutenant Martin "Marty" Castillo in ''Miami Vice'' (1984–1989), '' American Me'' (1992) (which he also di ...
, it was released in the United States on June 25, 1982. It underperformed in North American theaters, but has since become a
cult film A cult film or cult movie, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a cult following. Cult films are known for their dedicated, passionate fanbase which forms an elaborate subculture, members of which engage in ...
. The year following its release, the film won the prestigious Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation. Hailed for its production design, depicting a "retrofitted" future, it remains a leading example of
neo-noir Neo-noir is a revival of film noir, a genre that had originally flourished during the post-World War II era in the United Statesroughly from 1940 to 1960. The French term, ''film noir'', translates literally to English as "black film", indicating s ...
cinema. The film's soundtrack, composed by Vangelis, was critically acclaimed and nominated in 1983 for a BAFTA and Golden Globe as best original
score Score or scorer may refer to: *Test score, the result of an exam or test Business * Score Digital, now part of Bauer Radio * Score Entertainment, a former American trading card design and manufacturing company * Score Media, a former Canadian ...
. In 1993, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress, being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". ''Blade Runner'' is now regarded by many critics as one of the all-time best science fiction films.


''Blade Runner 2049'' (2017)

On April 16, 2015, Ryan Gosling entered negotiations for a role in a ''Blade Runner'' sequel. Gosling confirmed his casting in November 2015, citing the involvement of Villeneuve and Deakins as factors for his decision. On May 20,
Roger Deakins Sir Roger Alexander Deakins (born 24 May 1949) is an English cinematographer, best known for his collaborations with directors the Coen brothers, Sam Mendes and Denis Villeneuve. Deakins has been admitted to both the British Society of Cinema ...
was hired as director of photography. Principal photography was set to begin in July, with
Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
distributing the film domestically and Sony Pictures Entertainment handling international release. An official release date of January 12, 2018, was announced on February 18, 2016. When interviewed at the
2015 Toronto International Film Festival The 40th annual Toronto International Film Festival was held from 10 to 20 September 2015. On 28 July 2015 the first wave of films to be screened at the Festival was announced. Jean-Marc Vallée's ''Demolition'' starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Nao ...
, Villeneuve disclosed that the plot would include the ambiguity of whether or not Deckard is a human or a replicant. On March 31, 2016, Robin Wright entered final negotiations for a role in the film, and on April 2, Dave Bautista posted a picture of himself with an origami unicorn, hinting at a role in the film. Bautista and Wright were confirmed to be joining the cast on April 4, and a filming start date of July was established. In late April 2016, the film's release date was moved up to October 6, 2017, as well as
Ana de Armas Ana Celia de Armas Caso (; born 30 April 1988) is a Cuban and Spanish actress. She began her career in Cuba and had a leading role in the romantic drama '' Una rosa de Francia'' (2006). At age 18, she moved to Madrid, Spain, and starred in t ...
and
Sylvia Hoeks Sylvia Hoeks (; born 1 June 1983) is a Dutch actress and former model, best known internationally for her roles in ''Blade Runner 2049'' (2017) and ''The Girl in the Spider's Web'' (2018). Early life and education Hoeks was raised in Maarheeze, ...
being added to the cast.
Carla Juri Carla Juri (born 2 January 1985) is a Swiss actress. Her acting credits include ''180°'', ''Wetlands'', '' Finsterworld'' and '' Blade Runner 2049''. Early life and education Juri was raised in Ambrì, a village in the Italian-speaking Can ...
was cast in May 2016. In June,
Mackenzie Davis Mackenzie Rio Davis (born April 1, 1987) is a Canadian actress, producer, and model. She made her feature film debut in '' Smashed'' (2012). In 2013, she appeared in '' Breathe In'' and '' The F Word'' (for which she was nominated for the Canadi ...
and
Barkhad Abdi Barkhad Abdi ( so, Barkhad Cabdi; born April 10, 1985) is a Somali-American actor. He made his acting debut as Somali pirate Abduwali Muse in the biographical drama film '' Captain Phillips'' (2013), which earned him a British Academy Film Awar ...
were cast, with
David Dastmalchian David Dastmalchian (; born July 21, 1975) is an American film and stage actor. He has had supporting roles in a number of superhero franchises; he portrayed Thomas Schiff in ''The Dark Knight'', Kurt in the first two Marvel Cinematic Univers ...
, Hiam Abbass and
Lennie James Lennie Michael James (born 11 October 1965) is a British actor, screenwriter, and playwright. His work includes playing Morgan Jones in the television series, '' The Walking Dead'' and in its spin-off, '' Fear the Walking Dead'', and starring ...
joining in July. Jared Leto was added to the cast in August. In March 2017,
Edward James Olmos Edward James Olmos (born February 24, 1947) is an American actor, director, producer, and activist. He is best known for his roles as Lieutenant Martin "Marty" Castillo in ''Miami Vice'' (1984–1989), '' American Me'' (1992) (which he also di ...
confirmed he was in the film in a sequence playing original character
Gaff Gaff may refer to: Ankle-worn devices * Spurs in variations of cockfighting * Climbing spikes used to ascend wood poles, such as utility poles Arts and entertainment * A character in the ''Blade Runner'' film franchise * Penny gaff, a 19th-ce ...
. In September 2015, Warner Bros. trademarked the name ''Blade Runner: Androids Dream'', prompting speculation that this was the film's title; this was revealed to have been an early title of the film by in October 2017. However, after principal photography began in July 2016 and, as of September 2016, was filming in
Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population o ...
, Hungary,
Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
announced the title of the film to be ''Blade Runner 2049'' in October 2016. Shooting ended in November 2016 in Hungary, and the film was released on October 6, 2017.


Future

During an interview with '' Yahoo!'' during a promotional tour for the 2015 film '' The Martian'', Ridley Scott expressed interest in making additional films. In October 2017, Villeneuve said that he expected a third film would be made if ''2049'' was successful. Writer of both films Hampton Fancher also revealed that he was considering reviving an old story idea involving Deckard travelling to another country, and Ford said that he would be open to returning if he liked the script. In January 2018, Scott stated that he had "another toryready to evolve and be developed,
hat A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...
there is certainly one to be done for sure", referring to a third ''Blade Runner'' film.


Short films

On August 29, 2017, Denis Villeneuve, director of ''Blade Runner 2049'', announced that he had organized for two filmmakers to direct several short films exploring incidents that occurred between the events of ''Blade Runner'' and ''Blade Runner 2049''. These films were included as bonus features on most home video releases of ''Blade Runner 2049''.


''Blade Runner Black Out 2022'' (2017)

On September 26, 2017, the first short film, ''Blade Runner Black Out 2022'', was released on Crunchyroll. It is a prequel to ''2036: Nexus Dawn'' and ''2048: Nowhere to Run'', directed by Shinichirō Watanabe and produced by
CygamesPictures is a Japanese animation studio subsidiary of Cygames. Establishment In 2015, Cygames announced that created its own anime production division to produce anime for their gaming IP but also anime originals. A year later in 2016, Cygames announced ...
. The film is primarily set in 2022, following an EMP detonation that has caused a global blackout, which has had massive, destructive implications all over the world. During a preview of the film, Watanabe said that the original film was "definitely the movie that influenced me the most as an
anime is hand-drawn and computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japanese, (a term derived from a shortening o ...
director".
Edward James Olmos Edward James Olmos (born February 24, 1947) is an American actor, director, producer, and activist. He is best known for his roles as Lieutenant Martin "Marty" Castillo in ''Miami Vice'' (1984–1989), '' American Me'' (1992) (which he also di ...
reprises his role as
Gaff Gaff may refer to: Ankle-worn devices * Spurs in variations of cockfighting * Climbing spikes used to ascend wood poles, such as utility poles Arts and entertainment * A character in the ''Blade Runner'' film franchise * Penny gaff, a 19th-ce ...
.


''2036: Nexus Dawn'' (2017)

The second short film released in the lead up to ''Blade Runner 2049'', ''2036: Nexus Dawn'', is directed by Luke Scott, who had previously developed short films connecting the events of Ridley Scott films '' Prometheus'' and '' Alien: Covenant''. The film stars Jared Leto as Niander Wallace and
Benedict Wong Benedict Wong (born 3 July 1971) is an English actor. He is known for his roles as Kublai Khan in Netflix's ''Marco Polo'' (2014–2016), Bruce Ng in '' The Martian'' (2015), and Wong in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since ''Doctor Strange'' ( ...
as Lawmaker, following Wallace as he presents a new Nexus-9 replicant to the lawmakers in an attempt to have a prohibition on replicants lifted.


''2048: Nowhere to Run'' (2017)

The third and final short film, ''2048: Nowhere to Run'', also directed by Scott, follows Nexus-8 replicant Sapper Morton ( Dave Bautista) as he protects a mother and daughter from thugs.


Television


''Blade Runner: Black Lotus'' (2021)

''Blade Runner: Black Lotus'' is an animated series being produced for
Adult Swim Adult Swim (AS; stylized as dult swim'' and often abbreviated as s'') is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programmed by its in-house ...
and Crunchyroll. It was announced on November 29, 2018, and was created in partnership with Alcon Television Group, part of
Alcon Entertainment Alcon Entertainment, LLC is an American film production company, founded in 1997 by film producers Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove. Since its establishment, Alcon Entertainment has developed and financed films that are ultimately distribut ...
, the owners of the ''Blade Runner'' franchise. It has Shinichirō Watanabe as creative producer. Shinji Aramaki and
Kenji Kamiyama is a Japanese anime director. Career Kamiyama has worked regularly with the anime studio and production enterprise Production I.G, such as his work on '' Jin-Roh'', ''Patlabor'', '' Blood: The Last Vampire'', and for whom he has directed the '' ...
directed the series, which has 13 episodes. It aired English dubbed on Adult Swim on its Toonami programming block and streamed by Crunchyroll. The series has been produced by Japanese animation studio Sola Digital Arts. It has premiered on November 14, 2021. The series takes place in the year 2032 and includes "familiar" characters from the ''Blade Runner'' universe. The series is set ten years after the anime short ''
Blade Runner Black Out 2022 ''Blade Runner Black Out 2022'' is a 2017 tech-noir cyberpunk anime short film directed by Shinichiro Watanabe and animated by Cygames Pictures. The short is one of three short films, (with '' 2036: Nexus Dawn'' and '' 2048: Nowhere to Run ...
''.


''Blade Runner 2099''

In November 2021, Ridley Scott stated that a pilot for a ''Blade Runner'' television series and the show's bible had been written, with the project likely set to consist of 10 hour-long episodes. In February 2022, the series was officially announced to be in development, with the title of ''Blade Runner 2099''. Silka Luisa has signed onto the project as writer, and executive producer. Ridley Scott,
Andrew Kosove Andrew A. Kosove is an American film and television producer who has produced 35 films. He was nominated for an Academy Award for the film '' The Blind Side''. Alongside his producing partner, Broderick Johnson, he is the co-founder and co-CEO o ...
,
Broderick Johnson Broderick Johnson is the co-founder and co-CEO of Alcon Entertainment, which he formed with his producing partner Andrew Kosove in 1997. Under his leadership, Alcon Entertainment has financed and produced and/or co-financed and co-produced ove ...
, Michael Green, Ben Roberts, Cynthia Yorkin, David W. Zucker, and Clayton Krueger will serve as additional executive producers. Scott is in early negotiations to serve as director for the episodes. The project is being developed as a joint-venture production between Scott Free Productions,
Amazon Studios Amazon Studios is an American television and film producer and distributor that is a subsidiary of Amazon. It specializes in developing television series and distributing and producing films. It was started in late 2010. Content is distributed th ...
, and
Alcon Entertainment Alcon Entertainment, LLC is an American film production company, founded in 1997 by film producers Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove. Since its establishment, Alcon Entertainment has developed and financed films that are ultimately distribut ...
. The series is intended to be released via streaming as an
Amazon Prime Video Amazon Prime Video, also known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming and rental service of Amazon offered as a standalone service or as part of Amazon's Prime subscription. The service pr ...
exclusive. On October 12, 2022, an apparent official approval to actually make a ''Blade Runner 2099'' TV series was reported.


Cast and crew


Cast

This table shows the characters and the actors who have portrayed them throughout the franchise. A dark grey cell indicates the character was not in the film, or that the character's presence in the film has not yet been announced. : Note: A gray cell indicates character did not appear in that medium.


Crew


Reception


Box office performance


Critical and public response


Cultural impact

While not initially a success with North American audiences, the film was popular internationally and garnered a
cult following A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...
. The film's dark style and futuristic designs have served as a benchmark and its influence can be seen in many subsequent science fiction films, video games,
anime is hand-drawn and computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japanese, (a term derived from a shortening o ...
, and television programs.Barlow, Aaron "Reel Toads and Imaginary Cities: Philip K. Dick, ''Blade Runner'' and the Contemporary Science Fiction Movie" in Brooker, pp. 43–58 For example,
Ronald D. Moore Ronald Dowl Moore (born July 5, 1964) is an American screenwriter and television producer. He is best known for his work on ''Star Trek''; on the re-imagined ''Battlestar Galactica'' television series, for which he won a Peabody Award and an Em ...
and
David Eick David Eick () (born 1968) is an American writer and producer, best known as the executive producer of ''Battlestar Galactica'', for which he also wrote several episodes. Eick executive produced ''Caprica'' and '' Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Ch ...
, the producers of the re-imagining of ''
Battlestar Galactica ''Battlestar Galactica'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Glen A. Larson. The franchise began with the original television series in 1978, and was followed by a short-run sequel series ('' Galactica 1980''), a line of ...
'', have both cited ''Blade Runner'' as one of the major influences for the show. ''Blade Runner'' continues to reflect modern trends and concerns, and an increasing number consider it one of the greatest science fiction films of all time. It was voted the best science fiction film ever made in a poll of 60 eminent world scientists conducted in 2004. ''Blade Runner'' is also cited as an important influence to both the style and story of the ''
Ghost in the Shell ''Ghost in the Shell'' is a Japanese cyberpunk media franchise based on the seinen manga series of the same name written and illustrated by Masamune Shirow. The manga, first serialized in 1989 under the subtitle of ''The Ghost in the Shell'', ...
'' film series, which itself has been highly influential to the future-noir genre. ''Blade Runner'' has been very influential to the cyberpunk movement. It also influenced the cyberpunk derivative biopunk that revolves around biotechnology and genetic engineering. The film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry in 1993 and is used in university courses. In 2007 it was named the second-most visually influential film of all time by the Visual Effects Society. ''Blade Runner'' is one of the most musically
sampled Sample or samples may refer to: Base meaning * Sample (statistics), a subset of a population – complete data set * Sample (signal), a digital discrete sample of a continuous analog signal * Sample (material), a specimen or small quantity of so ...
films of the 20th century. The 2009 album, '' I, Human'', by Singaporean band
Deus Ex Machina ''Deus ex machina'' ( , ; plural: ''dei ex machina''; English "god out of the machine") is a plot device whereby a seemingly unsolvable problem in a story is suddenly and abruptly resolved by an unexpected and unlikely occurrence. Its function ...
makes numerous references to the genetic engineering and cloning themes from the film, and even features a track titled "Replicant". ''Blade Runner'' has influenced
adventure game An adventure game is a video game genre in which the player assumes the role of a protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and/or Puzzle video game, puzzle-solving. The Video game genres, genre's focus on story allows it to draw ...
s such as the 2012 graphical text adventure ''
Cypher Cypher is an alternative spelling for cipher. Cypher may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * Cypher (French Group), a Goa trance music group * Cypher (band), an Australian instrumental band * ''Cypher'' (film), a 2002 film * ''Cypher'' ( ...
'', ''
Rise of the Dragon ''Rise of the Dragon'' is a graphic adventure game released in 1990 for DOS and Macintosh, and later remade for the Sega CD (1993) as well as the Amiga. It was one of the few adventure game titles developed by Dynamix, a company that was better ...
'', '' Snatcher'', the
Tex Murphy Tex may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tex (nickname), a list of people and fictional characters with the nickname * Joe Tex (1933–1982), stage name of American soul singer Joseph Arrington Jr. Entertainment * ''Tex'', the Italian ...
series, '' Beneath a Steel Sky'', '' Flashback: The Quest for Identity'', ''
Bubblegum Crisis is a 1987 to 1991 cyberpunk original video animation (OVA) series produced by Youmex and animated by AIC and Artmic. The series was planned to run for 13 episodes, but was cut short to just 8. The series involves the adventures of the Kni ...
'' (and its original anime films), the role-playing game '' Shadowrun'', the
first-person shooter First-person shooter (FPS) is a sub-genre of shooter video games centered on gun and other weapon-based combat in a first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action through the eyes of the protagonist and controlling the pl ...
'' Perfect Dark'', and the '' Syndicate'' series of video games. The film is also cited as a major influence on
Warren Spector Warren Evan Spector (born October 2, 1955) is an American role-playing and video game designer, director, writer, producer and production designer. He is known for creating immersive sim games, which give players a wide variety of choices in how ...
, designer of the computer-game '' Deus Ex'', which displays evidence of the film's influence in both its visual rendering and plot. The look of the film, darkness, neon lights and opacity of vision, is easier to render than complicated backdrops, making it a popular choice for game designers.Atkins, Barry "Replicating the Blade Runner" in Brooker, pp. 79–91Tosca, Susana P. "Implanted Memories, or the Illusion of Free Action" in Brooker pp. 92–107 ''Blade Runner'' has also been the subject of parody, such as the comics ''Blade Bummer'' by ''
Crazy Insanity, madness, lunacy, and craziness are behaviors performed by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity can be manifest as violations of societal norms, including a person or persons becoming a danger to themselves or to ...
'' comics, ''Bad Rubber'' by
Steve Gallacci ''Albedo Anthropomorphics'', or ''Albedo'' for short, is a furry comic book anthology series which was credited with starting the furry comic book subgenre that featured sophisticated stories with talking animals primarily intended for an adult ...
, and the '' Red Dwarf'' 2009 three-part miniseries, " Back to Earth". Among the folklore that has developed around the film over the years has been the belief that the film was a curse to the companies whose logos were displayed prominently as product placements in some scenes. While they were market leaders at the time,
Atari Atari () is a brand name that has been owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by French publisher Atari SA through a subsidiary named Atari Interactive. The original Atari, Inc., founded in Sunnyvale, Cali ...
,
Bell A bell is a directly struck idiophone percussion instrument. Most bells have the shape of a hollow cup that when struck vibrates in a single strong strike tone, with its sides forming an efficient resonator. The strike may be made by an intern ...
,
Cuisinart Cuisinart ( ) is an American home appliance brand owned by Conair Corporation. The company was started in 1971 by Carl Sontheimer to bring an electric food processor to the U.S. market. The "Food Processor" was the first model, introduced at a ...
and Pan Am experienced setbacks after the film's release. The Coca-Cola Company suffered losses during its failed introduction of
New Coke New Coke was the unofficial name of a reformulation of the soft drink Coca-Cola, introduced by The Coca-Cola Company in April 1985. It was renamed Coke II in 1990 and discontinued in July 2002. By 1985, Coca-Cola had been losing market share to ...
in 1985, but soon afterwards regained its market share. Oscar Pistorius, the double-amputee who dazzled the world by running in the
2012 Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
on blade-like prosthetic legs, was given the nickname "Blade Runner" by the media for "literally running on blades", leading him to later title his autobiography ''Blade Runner: My Story''. Media recognitions for ''Blade Runner'' include:


Music


Soundtracks

The ''Blade Runner'' soundtrack by Vangelis is a dark melodic combination of classic composition and futuristic synthesizers which mirrors the film-noir retro-future envisioned by Ridley Scott. Vangelis, fresh from his
Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
-winning score for ''
Chariots of Fire ''Chariots of Fire'' is a 1981 British historical sports drama film directed by Hugh Hudson, written by Colin Welland and produced by David Puttnam. It is based on the true story of two British athletes in the 1924 Olympics: Eric Liddell, a de ...
'', composed and performed the music on his synthesizers. He also made use of various chimes and the vocals of collaborator
Demis Roussos Artemios "Demis" Ventouris-Roussos ( ; el, Αρτέμιος "Ντέμης" Βεντούρης-Ρούσσος, ; 15 June 1946 – 25 January 2015) was a Greek singer, songwriter and musician. As a band member he is best remembered for his work in ...
.Sammon, pp. 419–423 Another memorable sound is the haunting tenor sax solo "Love Theme" by British saxophonist Dick Morrissey, who performed on many of Vangelis's albums. Ridley Scott also used "Memories of Green" from the Vangelis album ''
See You Later ''See You Later'' is an album by the Greek electronic composer Vangelis, released in 1980. It breaks quite violently with the style he had employed in the late 1970s and later, relying much more on vocals and being more experimental and returni ...
, ''an orchestral version of which Scott would later use in his film '' Someone to Watch Over Me''. Along with Vangelis' compositions and ambient textures, the film's soundscape also features a track by the Japanese ensemble Nipponia – "Ogi No Mato" or "The Folding Fan as a Target" from the Nonesuch Records release ''Traditional Vocal and Instrumental Music'' – and a track by harpist Gail Laughton from "Harps of the Ancient Temples" on Laurel Records. Despite being well received by fans and critically acclaimed and nominated in 1983 for a BAFTA and Golden Globe for Best Original Score, and the promise of a soundtrack album from
Polydor Records Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...
in the end titles of the film, the release of the official soundtrack recording was delayed for over a decade. There are two official releases of the music from ''Blade Runner''. In light of the lack of a release of an album, the
New American Orchestra Irwin Elliott Zucker (August 6, 1927 – August 18, 2001) was an American television and film composer, conductor, music arranger, television producer, and co-founder of the New American Orchestra, later renamed the American Jazz Philharmonic. ...
recorded an orchestral adaptation in 1982 which bore little resemblance to the original. Some of the film tracks would, in 1989, surface on the compilation ''Vangelis: Themes'', but not until the 1992 release of the ''Director's Cut'' version would a substantial amount of the film's score see commercial release. These delays and poor reproductions led to the production of many
bootleg recording A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. Making and distributing such recordings is known as ''bootlegging''. Recordings may be copied and traded ...
s over the years. A bootleg tape surfaced in 1982 at science fiction conventions and became popular given the delay of an official release of the original recordings, and in 1993, Off World Music, Ltd created a bootleg CD that would prove more comprehensive than Vangelis' official CD in 1994. A set with three CDs of ''Blade Runner''-related Vangelis music was released in 2007. Titled ''Blade Runner Trilogy'', the first disc contains the same tracks as the 1994 official soundtrack release, the second features previously unreleased music from the film, and the third disc is all newly composed music from Vangelis, inspired by, and in the spirit of the film.
Jóhann Jóhannsson Jóhann Gunnar Jóhannsson (; 19 September 1969 – 9 February 2018) was an Icelandic composer who wrote music for a wide array of media including theatre, dance, television, and film. His work is stylised by its blending of traditional orchest ...
, who had worked with Villeneuve on ''
Prisoners A prisoner (also known as an inmate or detainee) is a person who is deprived of liberty against their will. This can be by confinement, captivity, or forcible restraint. The term applies particularly to serving a prison sentence in a prison. ...
'', '' Sicario'', and ''
Arrival Arrival(s) or The Arrival(s) may refer to: Film * ''The Arrival'' (1991 film), an American science fiction horror film * ''The Arrival'' (1996 film), an American-Mexican science fiction horror film * ''Arrival'' (film), a 2016 American science ...
'', was initially announced as composer for ''Blade Runner 2049''. However, Villeneuve and Jóhannsson decided to end the collaboration because Villeneuve felt the film "needed something different, and I needed to go back to something closer to Vangelis's soundtrack". New composers Hans Zimmer and
Benjamin Wallfisch Benjamin Mark Lasker Wallfisch (born 7 August 1979) is a British composer, conductor, orchestrator, and producer of film scores. Since the mid-2000s, he has worked on over 75 feature films, including composing original scores for ''Blade Ru ...
joined in July 2017. In September, Jóhannsson's agent confirmed that he was no longer involved and that he was contractually forbidden from commenting on the situation. According to
Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was founded predominantly as a jazz and classical mu ...
, Zimmer and Wallfisch sought to continue the legacy of the original ''Blade Runner'' score by incorporating the Yamaha CS-80 synthesizer. Zimmer has said of the soundtrack: "First of all, I realized that Denis illeneuveis a director who has a vision; he has a voice. Remember, I've done a lot of movies with Ridley Scott. So, it was important that this was an autonomous piece of work. Let's just be honest. Ridley is a hard act to follow—as is Vangelis. While Ben allfischwas four-years-old, I had actually experienced all of this. We watched and literally, as we stopped watching, we decided on the palette. We decided this wasn't going to be an orchestral thing. The story spoke to us." The ''Blade Runner 2049'' soundtrack was released on October 5, 2017, and was nominated for the
BAFTA Award for Best Film Music This is a list of winners and nominees for the BAFTA Award for Best Original Music, formerly known as the Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music, which is presented to film composers, given out by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts si ...
at the
71st British Academy Film Awards The 71st British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTAs, were held on 18 February 2018 at the Royal Albert Hall in London, honouring the best national and foreign films of 2017. Presented by the British Academy of Film and Televi ...
.


Other media


Books

; ''Future Noir: The Making of Blade Runner'' Before filming of ''Blade Runner'' began, ''
Cinefantastique ''Cinefantastique'' is an American horror, fantasy, and science fiction film magazine. History The magazine originally started as a mimeographed fanzine in 1967, then relaunched as a glossy, offset printed quarterly in 1970 by publisher/editor ...
'' magazine commissioned Paul M. Sammon to write an article about ''Blade Runner''s production. This article became the book ''Future Noir: The Making of Blade Runner''. The book chronicles ''Blade Runner''s evolution, focusing on film-set politics, especially the British director's experiences with his first American film crew; of which producer Alan Ladd, Jr. has said, "Harrison wouldn't speak to Ridley and Ridley wouldn't speak to Harrison. By the end of the shoot Ford was 'ready to kill Ridley', said one colleague. He really would have taken him on if he hadn't been talked out of it." ''Future Noir'' has short cast biographies and quotations about their experiences, and photographs of the film's production and preliminary sketches. A second edition of ''Future Noir'' was published in 2007. To promote the then-upcoming ''Blade Runner 2049'', ''Future Noir Revised & Updated Edition: The Making of Blade Runner'' was re-released on September 13, 2017. ; ''The Art and Soul of Blade Runner 2049'' A behind-the-scenes guide to the film by Tanya Lapointe. ; Additional books: * ''Blade Runner: The Inside Story'' by Don Shay.


Academia

* ''BFI Modern Classics: Blade Runner'' by Scott Bukatman. * ''Blade Runner: New York Film Notes'' by Nick Lacey. * ''Retrofitting Blade Runner: Issues in Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner'' by Judith B. Kerman. * ''Blade Runner: Cultographies'' by Matt Hills * ''The Blade Runner Experience: The Legacy of a Science-Fiction Classic'', edited by Will Brooker. * ''Film Architecture: From Metropolis to Blade Runner'' by Dietrich Neumann.


Autobiographies

* ''All Those Moments: Stories of Heroes, Villains, Replicants, and Blade Runners'' by Rutger Hauer. * ''Blade Runners, Deer Hunters, and Blowing the Bloody Doors Off: My Life in Cult Movies'' by
Michael Deeley Michael Deeley (born 6 August 1932) is an Academy Award-winning British film producer known for such motion pictures as ''The Italian Job'' (1969), ''The Deer Hunter'' (1978), and ''Blade Runner'' (1982). He is also a founding member and Honora ...
, co-written with Matthew Field.


Novels


''Blade Runner: A Story of the Future''

Philip K. Dick refused a $400,000 offer to write a ''Blade Runner''
novelization A novelization (or novelisation) is a derivative novel that adapts the story of a work created for another medium, such as a film, TV series, stage play, comic book or video game. Film novelizations were particularly popular before the advent of ...
, saying: " wastold the cheapo novelization would have to appeal to the twelve-year-old audience" and it "would have probably been disastrous to me artistically". He added, "That insistence on my part of bringing out the original novel and not doing the novelization – they were just furious. They finally recognized that there was a legitimate reason for reissuing the novel, even though it cost them money. It was a victory not just of contractual obligations but of theoretical principles." '' Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?'' was eventually reprinted as a
tie-in A tie-in work is a work of fiction or other product based on a media property such as a film, video game, television series, board game, web site, role-playing game or literary property. Tie-ins are authorized by the owners of the original prop ...
, with the film poster as a cover and the original title in parentheses below the ''Blade Runner'' title. Eventually, a novelization of the movie entitled ''Blade Runner: A Story of the Future'', written by Les Martin, was released in 1982.


''Blade Runner 2: The Edge of Human''

In 1994,
K. W. Jeter Kevin Wayne Jeter (born March 26, 1950) is an American science fiction and horror author known for his literary writing style, dark themes, and paranoid, unsympathetic characters. He has written novels set in the ''Star Trek'' and '' Star War ...
, a personal friend of Philip K. Dick, began developing a series of ''Blade Runner'' novels that would serve as a continuation of both the film ''
Blade Runner ''Blade Runner'' is a 1982 science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott, and written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples. Starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Edward James Olmos, it is an adaptation of Philip K. Dick's ...
'', and the novel upon which it was based, '' Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?''. The first of these novels, ''Blade Runner 2: The Edge of Human'', was published on October 1, 1995. The novel was set several months after the events of ''Blade Runner'', following Deckard living in an isolated shack outside of Los Angeles, with Rachael with him in a Tyrell transport container, intended to slow down the replicant aging process. Deckard is called in by the human template of Rachael, Sarah Tyrell, to hunt down a missing replicant in exchange for technology allowing Rachael to live. Meanwhile, Roy Batty, the human template for the replicant of the same name, hires Dave Holden, a blade runner previously attacked by Leon, to help him hunt down the man that he believes to be the sixth replicant – Deckard.


''Blade Runner 3: Replicant Night''

In 1996,
K. W. Jeter Kevin Wayne Jeter (born March 26, 1950) is an American science fiction and horror author known for his literary writing style, dark themes, and paranoid, unsympathetic characters. He has written novels set in the ''Star Trek'' and '' Star War ...
published
science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel univers ...
novel ''Blade Runner 3: Replicant Night'', the sequel to ''Blade Runner 2: The Edge of Human''. The novel follows Rick Deckard, now living on Mars, as he is acting as a consultant to a film crew filming the story of his days as a blade runner. He finds himself drawn into a mission on behalf of the
replicant A replicant is a fictional bioengineered humanoid featured in the 1982 film '' Blade Runner'' and the 2017 sequel ''Blade Runner 2049'' which is physically indistinguishable from an adult human and often possesses superhuman strength and intel ...
s he was once assigned to kill. Meanwhile, the mystery surrounding the beginnings of the Tyrell Corporation is being dragged out into the light.


''Blade Runner 4: Eye and Talon''

''Blade Runner 4: Eye and Talon'', also known as ''Blade Runner 4: Beyond Orion'', is the third novel written by
K. W. Jeter Kevin Wayne Jeter (born March 26, 1950) is an American science fiction and horror author known for his literary writing style, dark themes, and paranoid, unsympathetic characters. He has written novels set in the ''Star Trek'' and '' Star War ...
that continues the storyline started in the 1982 ''Blade Runner'' film. The novel was published in 2000. The story takes place concurrently with the events of ''Blade Runner 3: Replicant Night'', following Iris, a Blade Runner who has been sent on an assignment to find Eldon Tyrell's "real owl", which appears to have special significance to the Tyrell Corporation and other organizations.


Games

There are three video games based on ''Blade Runner'': one from 1985 for
Commodore 64 The Commodore 64, also known as the C64, is an 8-bit computing, 8-bit home computer introduced in January 1982 by Commodore International (first shown at the Consumer Electronics Show, January 7–10, 1982, in Las Vegas). It has been listed in ...
,
Sinclair ZX Spectrum The ZX Spectrum () is an 8-bit home computer that was developed by Sinclair Research. It was released in the United Kingdom on 23 April 1982, and became Britain's best-selling microcomputer. Referred to during development as the ''ZX81 Colour ...
and
Amstrad CPC The Amstrad CPC (short for ''Colour Personal Computer'') is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Si ...
by CRL Group PLC based on the music by Vangelis (due to licensing issues), another action adventure PC game from 1997 by Westwood Studios, and a VR game from 2018 by Seismic Games. Both the 1997 and 2018 video games feature new characters and branching storylines based on the ''Blade Runner'' world. Eldon Tyrell, Gaff, Leon, Rachael, Chew, J. F. Sebastian and Howie Lee appear in the 1997 video game, their voice files are recorded by the original actors, with the exception of Gaff, who is replaced by Javier Grajeda (as Victor Gardell) and Howie Lee, who is replaced by Toru Nagai. The player assumes the role of McCoy, another replicant-hunter working at the same time as Deckard. Gaff and Dave Holden both appear in the 2018 game, voiced respectively by
Kirk Thornton Kirk Thornton is an American voice actor, director and script writer working mainly with English-language versions of Japanese anime shows. Career His major roles include Brandon Heat in '' Gungrave'', Hotohori in '' Fushigi Yūgi'', Klein in ...
and Steve Prince, while
Carolyn Hennesy Carolyn Lee Hennesy (born June 10, 1962) is an American actress, author and animal advocate. Hennesy's early work consisted of guest appearances and roles in shows and television movies, including ''Dark Justice'' and in '' Deadly Invasion: The ...
voices Lilith Tyrell, niece of Eldon Tyrell; Lilith previously appeared in ''Blade Runner'' in photographic form, actress unaccredited. The PC game and VR game feature a non-linear plot,
non-player character A non-player character (NPC), or non-playable character, is any character in a game that is not controlled by a player. The term originated in traditional tabletop role-playing games where it applies to characters controlled by the gamemaster ...
s that each ran in their own independent AI, and an unusual pseudo-3D engine (which eschewed polygonal solids in favor of voxel elements) that did not require the use of a 3D accelerator card to play the game. There is also a tabletop role-playing game set between the events of the original film and the sequel Blade Runner 2049. The release came as part of a trend of increased tabletop games based on popular movies and television shows.


Documentaries

The film has been the subject of a number of documentaries. ; ''Blade Runner: Convention Reel'' (1982, 13 minutes) : Co-directed by Muffet Kaufman and Jeffrey B. Walker. Shot and screen in 16mm, featured no narrator, was filmed in 1981 while ''Blade Runner'' was still in production and featured short "behind-the-scenes" segments showing sets being built and sequences being shot, as well as interviews with Ridley Scott, Syd Mead and Douglas Trumbull. Appears on the ''Blade Runner'' Ultimate Collector's Edition. ; ''On the Edge of Blade Runner'' (2000, 55 minutes) : Directed by Andrew Abbott and hosted/written by
Mark Kermode Mark James Patrick Kermode (, ; ; born 2 July 1963) is an English film critic, musician, radio presenter, television presenter and podcaster. He is the chief film critic for ''The Observer'', contributes to the magazine ''Sight & Sound'', presen ...
. Interviews with production staff, including Ridley Scott, give details of the creative process and the turmoil during preproduction. Insights into Philip K. Dick and the origins of ''Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?'' are provided by Paul M. Sammon and Hampton Fancher. ; ''Future Shocks'' (2003, 27 minutes) : A documentary by TVOntario. It includes interviews with executive producer
Bud Yorkin Alan David "Bud" Yorkin (February 22, 1926 – August 18, 2015) was an American film and television producer, director, screenwriter, and actor. Biography Yorkin was born in Washington, Pennsylvania, to Jewish parents. He earned a degree ...
, Syd Mead, and the cast, and commentary by science fiction author
Robert J. Sawyer Robert James Sawyer (born April 29, 1960) is a Canadian science fiction writer. He has had 24 novels published and his short fiction has appeared in ''Analog Science Fiction and Fact'', ''Amazing Stories'', ''On Spec'', ''Nature'', and numerous ...
and from film critics. ; ''Dangerous Days: Making Blade Runner'' (2007, 213 minutes) : A documentary directed and produced by Charles de Lauzirika for ''The Final Cut'' version of the film. Its source material comprises more than 80 interviews, including extensive conversations with Ford, Young, and Scott. The documentary is presented in eight chapters, with each of the first seven covering a portion of the filmmaking process. The final chapter examines ''Blade Runner'''s controversial legacy. ; ''All Our Variant Futures: From Workprint to Final Cut'' (2007, 29 minutes) : Produced by Paul Prischman, appears on the ''Blade Runner'' Ultimate Collector's Edition and provides an overview of the film's multiple versions and their origins, as well as detailing the seven-year-long restoration, enhancement and remastering process behind ''The Final Cut''.


Comics


''A Marvel Comics Super Special: Blade Runner''

Archie Goodwin scripted the comic book adaptation of ''Blade Runner'', entitled '' A Marvel Comics Super Special: Blade Runner'', published in September 1982 as the twenty-second issue of the ''
Marvel Comics Super Special ''Marvel Comics Super Special'' was a 41-issue series of one-shot comic-magazines published by Marvel Comics from 1977 to 1986. They were cover-priced $1.50 to $2.50, while regular color comics were priced 30 cents to 60 cents, Beginning with issu ...
'' series of titles which, by the year 1982, only printed adaptations of films Marvel had obtained the rights to. It was later reprinted as a two-part miniseries, without the feature content contained in the special. In some printings, several pages of the comic were published out of order. Other printing set these pages in the correct order. In the UK it was reprinted as the ''Blade Runner Annual'' published by Grandreams. Again, the feature content of the original special was not reprinted. The trade paperback was published in black and white and contains images from the film; it is one of the rarest Marvel Comics trades ever. The book was poorly received upon its initial release. It was ridiculed for what the critics perceived as bad writing and misquoted lines of dialogue from the film.


''Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?''

In 2009,
BOOM! Studios Boom! Studios (styled BOOM! Studios) is an American comic book and graphic novel publisher, headquartered in Los Angeles, California, United States. History Origins In the early 2000s, Ross Richie and Andrew Cosby had been working in Holly ...
published ''Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?'', a 24 issue
comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are oft ...
limited series Limited series may refer to: *Limited series, individual storylines within an anthology series *Limited series, a particular run of collectables, usually individually numbered *Limited series (comics), a comics series with a predetermined number of ...
and direct adaptation of Philip K. Dick's novel by the same name. The series was drawn by Tony Parker, and was nominated for an Eisner Award in the category Best New Series. The characters in the adaptation were drawn in similar styles to the versions of the characters as presented in the original 1982 film.


''Dust to Dust''

In 2010,
BOOM! Studios Boom! Studios (styled BOOM! Studios) is an American comic book and graphic novel publisher, headquartered in Los Angeles, California, United States. History Origins In the early 2000s, Ross Richie and Andrew Cosby had been working in Holly ...
published ''Dust to Dust'', an 8-issue
comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are oft ...
limited series Limited series may refer to: *Limited series, individual storylines within an anthology series *Limited series, a particular run of collectables, usually individually numbered *Limited series (comics), a comics series with a predetermined number of ...
serving as a
prequel A prequel is a literary, dramatic or cinematic work whose story precedes that of a previous work, by focusing on events that occur before the original narrative. A prequel is a work that forms part of a backstory to the preceding work. The term " ...
to the events of both '' Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?'' (1968), ''
Blade Runner ''Blade Runner'' is a 1982 science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott, and written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples. Starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Edward James Olmos, it is an adaptation of Philip K. Dick's ...
'' (1982) and '' Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?'' (2009). The series was written by Chris Roberson and drawn by Robert Adler, detailing the days after World War Terminus. The series was marketed with a sneak peek of an eight-page digital preview which was released on iPad, iPhone and
iPod Touch The iPod Touch (stylized as iPod touch) is a discontinued line of iOS-based mobile devices designed and marketed by Apple Inc. with a touchscreen-controlled user interface. As with other iPod models, the iPod Touch can be used as a music pl ...
.


''Blade Runner 2019''

On October 4, 2018, ''The Hollywood Reporter'' published an announcement about a new ''Blade Runner'' comic series that would be set in the film universe. The comic was co-written by Michael Green (who had worked on the second film) together with Mike Johnson, who scripted the comic. The first issue was released on July 17, 2019, with the twelfth and final issue released on November 18, 2020. The comic was collected into three volumes, with the first released on November 20, 2019, and the last on February 24, 2021.


''Blade Runner 2029''

On December 16, 2020, a sequel to ''Blade Runner 2019'' was released, continuing the 2019 series of comics. Titan Comics again are publishing.


''Blade Runner Origins''

On March 10, 2021, ''Blade Runner Origins'' was released by Titan Comics. Written by Mike Johnson, K. Perkins, and Mellow Brown, it is set ten years before ''Blade Runner''.


Cancelled projects


''Metropolis''

In the 2000s, Scott proposed a sequel to ''Blade Runner'', entitled ''Metropolis''. The project never came to fruition due to rights issues.


''Purefold''

In June 2009, '' The New York Times'' reported that Scott and his brother, director
Tony Scott Anthony David Leighton Scott (21 June 1944 – 19 August 2012) was an English film director and producer. He was known for directing highly successful action and thriller films such as '' Top Gun'' (1986), ''Beverly Hills Cop II'' (1987), ''Da ...
, were working on a series of 5–10 minute shorts, ''Purefold'', inspired by ''Blade Runner'' and aimed first at the
web Web most often refers to: * Spider web, a silken structure created by the animal * World Wide Web or the Web, an Internet-based hypertext system Web, WEB, or the Web may also refer to: Computing * WEB, a literate programming system created by ...
and then perhaps television. Due to rights problems, the series was not to be linked too closely to the characters or events of the 1982 film. On February 7, 2010, it was announced that production on ''Purefold'' had ceased, due to funding problems.


Unofficially related media


''Soldier'' (1998)

''
Soldier A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, or an officer. Etymology The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word , from Old French ...
'' is a 1998 American
science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel univers ...
action film Action film is a film genre in which the protagonist is thrust into a series of events that typically involve violence and physical feats. The genre tends to feature a mostly resourceful hero struggling against incredible odds, which include life ...
directed by
Paul W. S. Anderson Paul William Scott Anderson (born 4 March 1965) is an English filmmaker who regularly works in science fiction films and video game adaptations. Anderson made his feature film debut with the British independent film ''Shopping'' (1994), and ...
and written by
David Peoples David Webb Peoples (born February 9, 1940) is an American screenwriter who wrote '' Blade Runner'' (1982), '' Unforgiven'' (1992), and '' 12 Monkeys'' (1995). He was nominated for Oscar, Golden Globe, and BAFTA awards. He won the best screenpla ...
(credited as David Webb Peoples). The film tells the story of a highly skilled genetically-advanced soldier defying his commanders and facing a relentless and brutal rival soldier. In the DVD commentary of ''Soldier'', Peoples revealed that he had written the film's script in 1982, during production of ''Blade Runner''.Source: DVD director's commentary. In 1998, while promoting ''Soldier'' (then recently released), Peoples then revealed that he had written ''Soldier'' as a "
spin-off Spin-off may refer to: *Spin-off (media), a media work derived from an existing work * Corporate spin-off, a type of corporate action that forms a new company or entity * Government spin-off, civilian goods which are the result of military or gov ...
sidequel In media, a spin-off (or spinoff) is a radio program, television program, film, video game or any narrative work, derived from already existing works that focus on more details and different aspects from the original work (e.g. particular top ...
-
spiritual successor A spiritual successor (sometimes called a spiritual sequel) is a product or fictional work that is similar to, or directly inspired by, another previous work, but (unlike a traditional prequel or sequel A sequel is a work of literature, film, ...
" to ''Blade Runner'', seeing both films as existing in the same fictional universe. The film obliquely refers to various elements of stories written by Philip K. Dick, and film adaptations thereof. Connections to ''Blade Runner'' in the film are as follows: * A
Spinner Technology *Spinner (aeronautics), the aerodynamic cone at the hub of an aircraft propeller * Spinner (cell culture), laboratory equipment for cultivating plant or mammalian cells * Spinner (computing), a graphical widget in a GUI * Spinner (MIT Med ...
from ''Blade Runner'' can be seen in the wreckage on a junk planet in the film. * One of the battles Kurt Russell's "Todd" character fought in, according to his battle records tattooed on his arm was "The Battle of Tannhäuser Gate", which Rutger Hauer's
Roy Batty ''Blade Runner'' is a 1982 American neo-noir science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott, which stars Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Edward James Olmos. Written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples, the film is an adaptation of ...
had mentioned having also fought in ''Blade Runner''. * An implication in the film is that the genetically-engineered soldiers meant to replace Todd and his fellow soldiers are in fact
replicant A replicant is a fictional bioengineered humanoid featured in the 1982 film '' Blade Runner'' and the 2017 sequel ''Blade Runner 2049'' which is physically indistinguishable from an adult human and often possesses superhuman strength and intel ...
s, continuing a theme from ''Blade Runner''. The 2017 short film ''2036: Nexus Dawn'' implies that Nexus-9 replicants were developed around 2036. ''Soldier'' takes place in 2036. * Incidentally, "The Battle of Tannhäuser Gate" is shown onscreen in one of the film's
deleted scene A deleted scene is footage that has been removed from the final version of a film or television show. There are various reasons why these scenes are deleted, which include time constraints, relevance, quality or a dropped story thread. A similar ...
s.


''Total Recall 2070'' (1999)

The television film '' Total Recall 2070'' was initially planned as a
spin-off Spin-off may refer to: *Spin-off (media), a media work derived from an existing work * Corporate spin-off, a type of corporate action that forms a new company or entity * Government spin-off, civilian goods which are the result of military or gov ...
of the film '' Total Recall'', and would eventually be transformed into a hybrid of ''Total Recall'' and ''Blade Runner''. The ''Total Recall'' film was also based on a Philip K. Dick story, "
We Can Remember It for You Wholesale "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale" is a science fiction novelette by American writer Philip K. Dick, first published in ''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction'' in April 1966. It features a melding of reality, false memory, and real mem ...
"; many similarities between ''Total Recall 2070'' and ''Blade Runner'' were noted, as well as apparent inspiration from Isaac Asimov's '' The Caves of Steel'' and the TV series '' Holmes & Yoyo''.


''Alien'' franchise

Debates by the movie press and science fiction communities have suggested the ''Blade Runner'' and ''Alien'' films (at least those in which Ridley Scott is involved) may share a joint universe. Recent franchise installments ( ''Prometheus'' and '' Alien: Covenant'') lean heavily toward the themes of
artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence—perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information—demonstrated by machines, as opposed to intelligence displayed by animals and humans. Example tasks in which this is done include speech re ...
and humanoid robots as opposed to 'creature features'. The tone of ''Alien: Covenant'' in particular has been noted as having a much more ''Blade Runner'' than ''Alien'' feel to it. A joint universe has not been publicly endorsed by Ridley Scott though he has indicated future ''Alien'' films will lean further towards the use of A.I.


Fan films

;; ''What Might Have Been: Snake Dance'' (2012) On December 12, 2012, in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the release of ''
Blade Runner ''Blade Runner'' is a 1982 science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott, and written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples. Starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Edward James Olmos, it is an adaptation of Philip K. Dick's ...
'',
Joanna Cassidy Joanna Cassidy (born Joanna Virginia Caskey, August 2, 1945 Brady, James"In Step With: Joanna Cassidy" ''Miami Herald'', November 25, 1990. Accessed March 14, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "Born: Aug.2, 1944, in Camden, N.J.") is an American actress. ...
, who portrayed the
replicant A replicant is a fictional bioengineered humanoid featured in the 1982 film '' Blade Runner'' and the 2017 sequel ''Blade Runner 2049'' which is physically indistinguishable from an adult human and often possesses superhuman strength and intel ...
Zhora Salome in the film, released a short film on her
YouTube channel YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second most vis ...
entitled ''What Might Have Been: Snake Dance''. Directed by Tamela D'Amico, based on an unfilmed scene from ''Blade Runner'' written by Hampton Fancher and
David Peoples David Webb Peoples (born February 9, 1940) is an American screenwriter who wrote '' Blade Runner'' (1982), '' Unforgiven'' (1992), and '' 12 Monkeys'' (1995). He was nominated for Oscar, Golden Globe, and BAFTA awards. He won the best screenpla ...
, with Cassidy reprising her role as Zhora, the film depicts the replicant performing the "snake dance", a dance Salome was stated to do for a living in ''Blade Runner''. The song " Touched a Dream" by R. Kelly plays over the course of the film. The film, set shortly before the events of the original 1982 film, originated from Cassidy's infrequent unsuccessful requests to have the "snake dance" scene mentioned in ''Blade Runner'' filmed for ''Blade Runner: The Final Cut''; despite this, Cassidy was successful in having Zhora's death scene refilmed, as a stunt double had filmed the scene in the theatrical version of the film. ;; ''Blade Runner – The Aquarelle Edition'' (2013) ''Blade Runner – The Aquarelle Edition'' is a 2013 film reinterpretation of ''Blade Runner'' (1982). Running 35 minutes, the film follows the general storyline of the original film while taking certain liberties, with the film creator, Anders Ramsell referring to the film as a "paraphrase" of the original ''Blade Runner''. The animated film, developed over the course of one and a half years, consists of 12,597 handmade aquarelle paintings. Archival audio from various characters from ''Blade Runner'' is reused during the film. Critic Mike Krumboltz observed of the film: the "result is like a Monet painting come to dystopian life". ;; ''Tears in the Rain'' (2017) ''Tears in the Rain'' is a 2017 short film set in the fictional universe established by ''Blade Runner'' (1982), set before the events of the film. Written and directed by Christopher Grant Harvey on a budget of $1,500, ''Tears in the Rain'' follows John Kampff (Sean Cameron Michael), the future inventor of the Voight-Kampff machine, as he heads up the Tyrell Retirement Division. Following the recent rebellion of Nexus-3 replicants off-world, Kampff confronts Nexus-3 Andy Smith (Russel Savadier) a replicant janitor unaware of his true nature, as his body is about to shut down. Eleven minutes and eleven seconds in length, the film has won multiple awards. ;; ''Slice of Life'' (2019) ''Slice of Life'' is a short film set in the fictional universe established by ''Blade Runner'' (1982), set in 2019, the same year as the events of ''Blade Runner''. The film was developed over the course of three years, directed by Luka Hrgović and written by Anton Svetić. All special effects in ''Slice of Life'' are made using miniatures, back projections, matte paintings and practical effects. The film is approximately 25 minutes long. Although described as a fan movie, ''Slice of Life'' does not include Rick Deckard. It is simply an homage, using the same universe and telling its own original story with original characters. The film follows "low-life drug dealer who tries to turn his life around, but finds himself at the mercy of fate when he encounters a cop with an agenda of his own".


Notes


References


External links

* * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Blade Runner Blade Runner (franchise) Neo-noir Films based on works by Philip K. Dick Biorobotics in fiction Genetic engineering in fiction Science fiction franchises