Sci-fi anime ‘Blade Runner: Black Lotus’ introduces new replicant
The world of Blade Runner is expanding later this year with the new animated series, Blade Runner: Black Lotus, starring female replicant Elle.
Adult Swim and Crunchyroll dropped a brand-new trailer for the upcoming anime inspired by the award-winning sci-fi film franchise during Sunday’s Comic-Con 2021 panel.
Blade Runner: Black Lotus takes place in Los Angeles in the year 2032, landing on the Blade Runner franchise’s timeline in between the original Harrison Ford film set in 2019 and the sequel movie starring Ryan Gosling set in 2049.
The cult science fiction film classic directed by Ridley Scott released in 1982 and its 2017 sequel are loosely based on the Phillip K. Dick novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
The new anime series’ plot centers on a brand new replicant named Elle, otherwise known as the “Black Lotus,” who is on the run from authorities after escaping her creators.
The debut poster for Blade Runner: Black Lotus, coming this Fall. pic.twitter.com/FxPuIhDGL2
— Rotten Tomatoes (@RottenTomatoes) July 24, 2021
Elle uncovers new facets to her identity, including conspiracies about her creation and her expertise in combat with a katana, that ultimately shape the direction of the storyline.
Voice actor Jessica Henwick (Blood of Zeus) plays Elle in the English adaptation, while Arisa Shida voices the protagonist for the Japanese edition. Other voice actors for the series include Henry Czerny (Clear and Present Danger), Josh Duhamel (Jupiter’s Legacy), and Brian Cox (Shetland).
Black Lotus takes place a decade after a cataclysmic world event called the "Black Out" portrayed in the anime short film Blade Runner: Black Out 2022.
Shinichirō Watanabe, who served as director for the previous short film has returned as creative producer alongside Alcon Entertainment and animation studio Sola Digital Arts.
The 13-episode series is directed by Shinji Aramaki and Kenji Kamiyama, the duo behind Ghost in the Shell: SAC 2045.
Experience the future of Blade Runner in the official trailer below.
Blade Runner: Black Lotus will run beginning this fall, via Adult Swim and Crunchyroll.
(Images via Adult Swim)