Nearly two years after wrapping production in Prague, the first official images from Blade Runner 2099 have been revealed. Prime Video unveiled the first trailer and stills for the long-awaited science fiction series during its Hall H presentation at San Diego Comic-Con, while also confirming that all eight episodes will premiere on Nov. 25.
The first footage offers audiences a glimpse of the franchise’s return to a dystopian Los Angeles, led by Michelle Yeoh and Hunter Schafer in a story that shifts the focus toward the perspective of replicants. For Prague’s film industry, the reveal marks the public debut of one of the largest international productions ever filmed in the Czech capital.
First trailer reveals a new chapter in the Blade Runner universe
Prime Video debuted the first teaser for Blade Runner 2099 on Friday during its San Diego Comic-Con panel, confirming that the limited series will premiere worldwide on Nov. 25. The eight-episode series is the first live-action expansion of the franchise since Denis Villeneuve‘s Blade Runner 2049 was released in 2017.
The trailer introduces Yeoh as Olwen, a replicant nearing the end of her lifespan, and Schafer as Cora, a fugitive who assumes the identity of a Blade Runner in a final attempt to escape her past. Forced to work together, the pair hunt a runaway carrying secrets that could destabilize the fragile balance of power in Los Angeles.
The footage suggests a dramatic shift in the franchise’s status quo. According to the official synopsis, the city has been rebuilt after the events of Blade Runner 2049, “just not by humanity.” Showrunner Silka Luisa has revealed that a replicant uprising has taken place between the events of the previous film and the new series, leaving replicants in control while humans have become second-class citizens.
That reversal is reflected throughout the trailer, which depicts a city marked by violence, political upheaval, and growing tensions between humans and replicants. In one of its closing moments, Olwen tells Cora: “The old world forever fights to come back. Humans want what was taken from them. But it’s our time now.”
Speaking ahead of Comic-Con, Luisa said the series expands the philosophical questions that have defined the franchise since Ridley Scott’s original Blade Runner, while also drawing inspiration from Philip K. Dick’s novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?.
“The show is really imagining what comes after us, and what does it mean to be human in a world where humanity is no longer relevant?” Luisa told Entertainment Weekly. She added that the longer television format allowed the creative team to explore areas of the universe only hinted at in the films.
Alongside Yeoh and Schafer, the series stars Dimitri Abold and Lewis Gribben, with recurring performances from Katelyn Rose Downey, Daniel Rigby, Johnny Harris, Amy Lennox, Sheila Atim, Matthew Needham, Tom Burke, and Maurizio Lombardi.
Prague production finally comes into view
For audiences in the Czech Republic, the trailer also provides the first official look at one of Prague’s biggest international productions in recent years.
Blade Runner 2099 was filmed primarily in Prague during late 2024, with Barrandov Studios serving as the production’s main base. Additional filming took place across locations in the Czech capital before the production moved to Barcelona for further shooting. Prague-based Film United handled local production services.
The series represented one of the most ambitious television projects ever mounted in the Czech Republic, employing hundreds of local crew members across construction, costumes, special effects, stunt work, and technical departments. Large practical sets were built to recreate the franchise’s signature futuristic environments before being enhanced through extensive visual effects during post-production.
Industry estimates previously placed the production’s Czech spending at approximately CZK 1.8 billion, making it one of the country’s largest recent foreign productions and another major success for Prague’s expanding role as a European production hub for high-end streaming series.
The project also experienced a longer-than-expected road to release. Originally announced in 2022, production was delayed by the 2023 Hollywood writers’ and actors’ strikes before cameras finally rolled in Prague the following year. The extended post-production schedule reflected the franchise’s demanding visual effects work, which has long been central to the Blade Runner aesthetic.
Created by Luisa, best known for Shining Girls, the series is executive produced by Ridley Scott, Andrew Kosove, Broderick Johnson, David W. Zucker, Clayton Krueger, Michael Green, and several other longtime franchise collaborators. Jonathan van Tulleken (Shōgun) directed the opening two episodes.
With a release date now confirmed and the first footage finally public, Blade Runner 2099 is poised to become one of the year’s most closely watched streaming premieres, as well as a showcase for one of the biggest international productions ever filmed in Prague.
