2036: Nexus Dawn
A prequel short film set 13 years before Blade Runner 2049.
20th Century Fox · via Wikipedia: 2036: Nexus Dawn · Public domain
Here is the rewritten encyclopedia entry: (also released in Chinese and Taiwanese markets as *2036: Clone Era*, *2036: Chain Dawn*, or *2036: Copy of the Times*, and sometimes called *Blade Runner 2036*) is a 2017 American short film that serves as a prequel to the feature *Blade Runner 2049*. It is one of three such prequels, the others being *Blade Runner Black Out 2022* and *2048: Nowhere to Run*. Released on August 30, 2017, about five weeks before the feature film, it stars Jared Leto as Niander Wallace and Benedict Wong. The screenplay was written by Hampton Fancher and Michael Green, who also wrote the feature, and it was directed by Luke Scott, whose father Ridley Scott directed the original *Blade Runner* and served as executive producer on the sequel. Set in Los Angeles in 2036—13 years before *Blade Runner 2049*—the short follows Wallace as he meets with lawmakers to argue for permission to produce his new line of replicants. Niander Wallace is summoned to a hearing regarding his plan to manufacture a new generation of replicants. The lawmakers warn him that his actions are illegal and not up for discussion, but Wallace counters that they are, in fact, debating it. He argues that Earth’s ecosystem is collapsing and that only cheap replicant labor can sustain humanity. He insists the new replicants pose no threat to humans, but the lawmakers remain skeptical. To prove his point, Wallace orders his Nexus-9 replicant assistant to cut himself and then choose between Wallace’s life and his own. The replicant slits his own throat, shocking the lawmakers. Wallace then asks again whether they will authorize production. The Chinese version includes a text-based prologue explaining that replicant production was banned after the 2022 Blackout, which bankrupted the Tyrell Corporation. Earth’s ecosystem has been near collapse since the mid-2020s. It notes that Niander Wallace, the blind CEO of Wallace Corporation, acquired Tyrell and began developing a new replicant generation to serve as slaves for rebuilding the environment. This prologue also appears before the Chinese version of the short *2048: Nowhere to Run*. Jared Leto as Niander Wallace Benedict Wong as Lawmaker Ned Dennehy as Lawmaker No. 2 Ade Sapara as Lawmaker No. 3 Ania Marson as Lawmaker No.
Quick Facts
- Director
- Luke Scott
- Screenplay
- Hampton Fancher / Michael Green
- Starring
- Jared Leto / Benedict Wong
- Music
- Blitz · Berlin
- Studio
- Alcon Entertainment / Columbia Pictures / Thunderbird Entertainment / Scott Free Productions
- Distributor
- Warner Bros. Pictures (North America) / Sony Pictures Releasing International (International)
- Released
- 30 August 2017
- Runtime
- 6 minutes
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
To prove this, he orders his replicant assistant, a newly developed Nexus-9, to purposely cut himself and then decide between Wallace's life and his own. The replicant then cuts his own throat, shocking the lawmakers. Wallace once again asks them if they are willing to authorize the production of new replicants. The Chinese version of the film features a text-based prologue explaining that replicant production had been banned after 'The Blackout' in 2022, leading to the bankruptcy of the Tyrell Corporation, and that Niander Wallace, the blind CEO of the Wallace Corporation, acquired the Tyrell Corporation and began to develop a new generation of replicants.
Reader's Guide
2036: Nexus Dawn serves as a narrative bridge between the original Blade Runner and its sequel Blade Runner 2049, establishing the political and ethical context for the return of replicant manufacturing. The short film was directed by Luke Scott, whose father Ridley Scott directed the original Blade Runner and served as executive producer on the sequel. The film was written by Hampton Fancher and Michael Green, who also wrote the feature film. Its release on August 30, 2017, approximately five weeks before Blade Runner 2049, helped build anticipation for the feature. The short was met with appreciation for acknowledging Ridley Scott's son. The film's depiction of Wallace's ruthless demonstration—ordering a replicant to kill itself to prove obedience—underscores the moral questions surrounding artificial life and slavery that permeate the Blade Runner universe. The Chinese prologue adds context about the post-Blackout world and Wallace Corporation's rise.
Did You Know?
- The short film was released on August 30, 2017, approximately five weeks before the release of Blade Runner 2049.
- It is one of three prequel shorts, alongside Blade Runner Black Out 2022 and 2048: Nowhere to Run.
- The Chinese version of the film includes a text-based prologue explaining the post-Blackout ban on replicant production.
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