9 Years Later, The Best Cyberpunk Franchise Of All Time Returns In 2026

Nine years after its last installment, the best cyberpunk franchise will return in 2026. The genre has always been popular, but cyberpunk exploded in the 1980s. The likes of Akira, Escape from New York, and RoboCop were released in that decade, as was the first of the Blade Runner movies.

Some of these have been remarked as the most stunning sci-fi movies of all time. Beyond that, some started franchises that continue today, decades later. One of those franchises will return in 2026, nine years after its last installment, thanks to a new cyberpunk Prime Video show.

Blade Runner Returns In 2026 With A Prime Video Show

In 2026, Prime Video will release Blade Runner 2099. The show will be the third major installment in the Blade Runner franchise after 1982’s Blade Runner and 2017’s Blade Runner 2049. Prime Video has been the home of some major franchise shows in recent years, from The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power to Blade Runner 2099 itself.

Blade Runner 2099 is being developed by Silka Luisa, starring Michelle Yeoh and Hunter Shcafer as the two leads. Almost a decade after Blade Runner 2049, the best cyberpunk franchise in history will return.

How Blade Runner 2099 Will Tie Into The Movies

Harrison Ford as Rick Deckard with a gun in Blade Runner

Concerning how Blade Runner 2099 will tie into the movies, that mostly remains to be seen. The story of the TV show has been kept under wraps and, based on the title, will be set 50 years after the last installment. However, there are expected to be some connections.

For instance, Ridley Scott is working on the show as an executive producer, the same role he had during the production of Blade Runner 2049. This seems to indicate that the story will follow on from both Blade Runner and its sequel, continuing the themes explored via replicants, humans, and their interactions.

Why TV Is The Best Medium For A New Blade Runner

A man walks out of his car in Blade Runner 2049. — A man walks out of his car in Blade Runner 2049

With Blade Runner 2099 coming soon, it becomes clear that TV is the best medium for a new installment in the franchise. For one, TV shows now have massive budgets, some of which rival and even surpass those of major Hollywood movies. Given the scale of Blade Runner, this seems fitting.

Also, theaters have not proven kind to Blade Runner. Despite the insane quality of both movies, neither performed well commercially. This allows the franchise to find an audience on the small screen, with Blade Runner 2099 being the first potential step in achieving this goal. If the show performs well, the best cyberpunk franchise of all time could continue beyond it on Prime Video.