Blade Runner Watch Order: Every Film, Short and Series to See Before Blade Runner 2099

To prepare for Blade Runner 2099, watch Blade Runner (1982) and then Blade Runner 2049 (2017). Those two films are the story the new series continues. Amazon says Blade Runner 2099 is set 50 years after 2049, and all eight episodes arrive on Prime Video on November 25, 2026.

Everything else is optional: three short films from 2017, a 13-episode anime series and a shelf of novels and comics. This guide gives the release order, the chronological order and a clear view of what you can skip. It is spoiler-free.

Blade Runner watch order at a glance

That is the essential path. The optional extras slot in between steps 1 and 2, or can be skipped entirely.

Release order: every Blade Runner film, short and series

1. Blade Runner (1982). Ridley Scott’s film, set in a dystopian Los Angeles in 2019, with Harrison Ford as Rick Deckard. It is based on Philip K. Dick’s 1968 novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?.
2. Blade Runner 2049 (2017). Denis Villeneuve’s sequel, set about 30 years later, with Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford. It runs 163 minutes.
3. 2036: Nexus Dawn (August 30, 2017). A six-minute short directed by Luke Scott.
4. 2048: Nowhere to Run (September 16, 2017). Another six-minute short from Luke Scott.
5. Blade Runner Black Out 2022 (September 2017). A 15-minute anime short directed by Shinichiro Watanabe, released on Crunchyroll.
6. Blade Runner: Black Lotus (November 14, 2021). A 13-episode animated series, directed by Shinji Aramaki and Kenji Kamiyama, shown on Adult Swim’s Toonami block and Crunchyroll.
7. Blade Runner 2099 (November 25, 2026). The new live-action Prime Video series.

The three shorts were made as prequels to 2049 and were released before and around the film. Wikipedia lists them as 2017 releases. Release dates for Black Out 2022 differ slightly by listing (Crunchyroll’s debut is given as September 26, with a US listing on September 27), so we give the month only.

Chronological order

If you want to follow the timeline rather than the release calendar, use the in-universe years Wikipedia gives:

For a first viewing, we recommend release order. The two films land harder when you meet them in that sequence, and the shorts work as a bridge you can watch after 2049 if you want more.

Which version of Blade Runner should you watch?

The 1982 film exists in several cuts. Wikipedia counts seven versions, including the 1982 workprint, the US theatrical release, the International Cut, the 1992 Director’s Cut and The Final Cut from 2007. Our recommendation for a new viewer is The Final Cut from 2007, the most recent of the main versions. Any of the main cuts will tell you what you need before 2049 and 2099.

What is optional?

• The three 2017 shorts. They are short and fill in the years before 2049. Nothing in the sources we checked says they are required viewing for 2099.
• Black Lotus. A separate anime story set in 2032. Its follow-up comic from Titan Comics was published in April 2022. Treat it as a bonus.
• Novels. Dick’s 1968 source novel is a different take on the same idea. K. W. Jeter wrote three sequels to the film in 1995, 1996 and 2000.
• Comics. Titan Comics has published several series, including Blade Runner 2019, 2029, Origins, 2039 and Tokyo Nexus, and BOOM! Studios published an adaptation and a prequel in 2009 and 2010. None is a prerequisite.

What we know about Blade Runner 2099

Amazon confirms the following:

• Release: all eight episodes on November 25, 2026, on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories.
• Setting: 50 years after Blade Runner 2049, in a Los Angeles reshaped by non-human forces.
• Cast: Michelle Yeoh plays Olwen, a Replicant nearing the end of her life, and Hunter Schafer plays Cora, a fugitive who takes on a Blade Runner identity. Dimitri Abold and Lewis Gribben are series regulars.
• Team: Silka Luisa is the creator and showrunner, Jonathan van Tulleken directs the first two episodes, and Ridley Scott is an executive producer.

Amazon also says the 1982 film and 2049 can be rented or bought on Prime Video ahead of the series. For the newest footage, see our report on the NYCC trailer, and for more from the original director, read about Ridley Scott’s plans for an Alien: Covenant sequel.

If you are on a sci-fi marathon, Villeneuve’s other big franchise is also on the calendar: our Dune books in order guide covers what to read before Dune: Part Three in December. Browse the full Blade Runner hub for everything we have published, and check the release calendar for confirmed dates.

FAQ

What order should I watch Blade Runner in?

Release order: Blade Runner (1982), Blade Runner 2049 (2017), then Blade Runner 2099 (November 25, 2026). The 2017 shorts and Black Lotus are optional extras.

Do I need to watch Blade Runner before Blade Runner 2099?

Watching the two films is the best preparation. Amazon says 2099 is set 50 years after 2049, so the setting and its history come from the films. The sources we checked do not say the series can be fully followed without them.

Do I need to watch the Blade Runner shorts or Black Lotus?

No. The shorts fill in the years before 2049, and Black Lotus is a separate anime set in 2032. Neither is described by the sources we checked as required for 2099.

When does Blade Runner 2099 come out, and where can I watch it?

All eight episodes release on November 25, 2026, exclusively on Prime Video, in more than 240 countries and territories, according to Amazon.

Which cut of the original Blade Runner should I watch?

We recommend The Final Cut (2007). Wikipedia lists seven versions, and the main cuts all contain the same core story.

Who stars in Blade Runner 2099?

Michelle Yeoh and Hunter Schafer lead the series as Olwen and Cora, with Dimitri Abold and Lewis Gribben as series regulars.