Production of Blade Runner 2099 in Prague officially kicked off earlier this month, with filming on the sci-fi series slated to run in the Czech Republic through December. Given the sci-fi setting of a futuristic Los Angeles, work on the series is largely expected to take place at Barrandov Studio, which is almost fully booked through the end of the year and will be “rebuilt” for the production of the series, according to Pavlína Žipková from the Czech Film Commission.
Still, selected scenes will be shot on location in the Czech capital, with the production potentially taking advantage of some of Prague’s brutalist and otherworldly architecture. In August, filming for Blade Runner 2099 is slated to take place both in Prague’s city center as well as Karlín in Prague 8.
In early August, streets in the vicinity of Prague’s Main Train Station and Vrchlického sady park (nicknamed ‘Sherwood’ for its somewhat shady reputation) have been reserved for production equipment. These include portions of Washingtonova street adjacent to the southern edge of the park. The striking New Building of the National Museum, which is also nearby, could also make for a unique backdrop for Blade Runner 2099.
In mid-August, portions of Pernerova and Thámova streets directly adjacent to the Žižkov Tunnel have been reserved for production of Blade Runner 2099. Portions of the lengthy tunnel, which also houses a fallout shelter, could conceivably be utilized for production.
Blade Runner 2099 stars Oscar-winning actress Michelle Yeoh and Euphoria star Hunter Schafer. Story details are being kept under wraps, but according to a leaked plot summary, Schafer will star in the lead role of a replicant on the run, with Yeoh as Olwen, a blade runner pulled into a conspiracy that has large-scale ramifications for the city of Los Angeles in 2099.
Earlier this month, Amazon revealed the supporting cast members for the series, which include Dimitri Abold (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes) and Lewis Gribben (Masters of the Air) as series regulars alongside recurring roles filled by Matthew Needham (House of the Dragon), Sheila Atim (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness), Johnny Harris (A Gentleman in Moscow), Daniel Rigby (Flowers), Amy Lennox (Holby City) and Katelyn Rose Downey (The Nun II).
As the title indicates, Blade Runner 2099 takes place 50 years after the feature film Blade Runner 2049, and 80 years after the original Blade Runner, which was set in 2019. Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford, who starred in the earlier movies, are unlikely to have significant roles in the series, but their characters could feature in a cameo or flashback.
In Prague, production of Blade Runner 2099 is being coordinated by Film United. The series is the biggest project to shoot in the Czech capital this year, with Barrandov Studio nearly completely occupied through December. According to Variety, the series also plans to film in Barcelona.
Ridley Scott, who directed the original Blade Runner, returns to Blade Runner 2099 in the role of executive producer alongside David W. Zucker and Clayton Krueger from Scott Free Productions. Silka Luisa (Halo) serves as series showrunner, with Jonathan van Tulleken (Shogun) directing the first two episodes as well as executive producing the series.
Lead image: Žižkov tunnel via Flickr / Marek Pałach-Rydzy; Harrison Ford and Ryan Gosling in Blade Runner 2049
