Blade Runner Black Out 2022

Lore & Background

Set three years after the events of Blade Runner, the Tyrell Corporation has developed the Nexus-8 line of replicants with open-ended lifespans, leading to unrest. A replicant named Trixie is assaulted by human thugs but rescued by Iggy, a replicant ex-soldier who deserted after learning the enemy were also replicants. He recruits her into an underground freedom movement aiming to sabotage Tyrell's database and internet tracking.

Reader's Guide

The short film is significant as a direct prequel to Blade Runner 2049, bridging the gap between the original film and its sequel. It depicts a pivotal event—the electromagnetic pulse blackout of Los Angeles—that leads to the collapse of the Tyrell Corporation and the rise of the Wallace Corporation. The film received positive attention from critics like Ollie Barder of Forbes, who praised its combination of elements from Cowboy Bebop and the bleakness of anime such as Armor Hunter Mellowlink. Its cast includes Jovan Jackson as Iggy Cygnus, Luci Christian as Trixie, Bryson Baugus as Ren, and Edward James Olmos as Gaff.

Did You Know?

• The short debuted on 27 September 2017 on Crunchyroll.
• It is one of three prequel shorts to Blade Runner 2049, alongside 2036: Nexus Dawn and 2048: Nowhere to Run.
• Edward James Olmos voices the character Gaff in the short.