Ridley Scott Sci-Fi Movie Becomes a Streaming Hit

Ridley Scott has defined genre storytelling for decades with franchises like Gladiator and Alien, while also delivering emotional dramas like Thelma & Louise and House of Gucci. One of the most beloved titles associated with the director has found a whole new life on streaming platforms.

Blade Runner 2049, the 2017 sequel to Scott’s 1982 classic Blade Runner, has ranked among the Top 10 most-watched films on Paramount+ after joining the service. The movie also found success among the most-watched movies on HBO Max. While Denis Villeneuve directed the sequel, Scott remained involved with the project as an executive producer.

Warner Bros. Pictures describes the plot of Blade Runner 2049 as following Officer K, played by Ryan Gosling. As a new Blade Runner for the Los Angeles Police Department, he unearths a long-buried secret that threatens to plunge what remains of society into chaos. His discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard, a former Blade Runner played by Harrison Ford who has been missing for 30 years.

The cast also includes Ana de Armas, Mackenzie Davis, Robin Wright, Lennie James, Dave Bautista, and Jared Leto. Blade Runner 2049 grossed $276.6 million worldwide at the box office. Despite that underperformance, the film was well received by critics upon its 2017 debut. It received five Academy Award nominations and won trophies for Best Cinematography and Best Visual Effects.

The sequel helped reignite interest in the original film, which adapts Philip K. Dick’s 1968 novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?. Titan Comics published spin-off comic books co-written by 2049 screenwriter Michael Green to explore different points in the universe. Adult Swim also broadcast a spin-off anime series titled Blade Runner: Black Lotus in 2021, which is set roughly fifteen years before the events of the film.

Prime Video subscribers will receive a new live-action television series titled Blade Runner 2099 later this fall. Set fifty years after the events of 2049 and executive produced by Scott, the series follows Olwen, a Replicant Blade Runner played by Michelle Yeoh, as she tries to unite with her partner Cora, a human pretending to be a Replicant played by Hunter Schafer. The series debuts on Prime Video on November 25, 2026.

Source: Polygon