Ahead of the film’s October release date, Warner Bros. has doled out Blade Runner 2049 mini-prequels in addition to the usual trailers. Director Denis Villeneuve intended the short films to fill in some of the history of the 30 years between Ridley Scott’s original movie and its sequel. So he tapped Luke Scott for the first two, 2036: Nexus Dawn and 2048: Nowhere To Run, which saw Jared Leto show off his new line of androids and aging replicant Dave Bautista demonstrate his remaining strength, respectively.
For the third such prequel short, Villeneuve turned to Cowboy Bebop creator Shinichiro Watanabe, who says he’s always wanted to make an anime based on Blade Runner. The result, Blade Runner Black Out 2022, travels further back in the past than the previous two, depicting public outrage and attacks on replicants, who eventually learn to fight back. Watanabe says he didn’t want to imitate the original, but he has recreated the desolation and claustrophobia in stunning new visuals. A behind-the-scenes look is available below, but for the full 15-minute prequel, you’ll have to sign up at Crunchyroll to have a look.
Flying Lotus provided the soundtrack for the short. Blade Runner 2049 hits theaters October 6.