One of cinema’s most influential sci-fi franchises is coming to television. Prime Video’s “Blade Runner 2099,” a limited sequel series starring Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) and Hunter Schafer (“Euphoria”) debuts Nov 25.
Set 50 years after Denis Villeneuve’s 2017 movie “Blade Runner 2049,” the series is the franchise’s first live-action television installment, expanding the dystopian universe first introduced in Ridley Scott’s 1982 classic. Scott is also an executive producer for the Prime Video series.
Here’s what we know about “Blade Runner 2099” and what actors can learn from the people who brought this futuristic world to life.
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“Blade Runner 2099” is a sci-fi dystopian miniseries which takes place in a futuristic Los Angeles where humanity has been pushed to the margins. After an uprising, Replicants, the bioengineered beings originally created to serve humans, now control the city.
At the center of the story are two unlikely allies: Olwen (Yeoh), a Replicant Blade Runner approaching the end of her life, and Cora (Schafer), a fugitive hiding behind a Replicant identity. Their search for runaway Replicants leads them toward a secret that could upend the city’s already precarious order.
Newcomers won’t need to catch up on the “Blade Runner” films to watch the series. Showrunner Silka Luisa (“Shining Girls,” “Halo”) said in an interview with SFX magazine, “This could be an introduction to the world of ‘Blade Runner,’ and it wouldn’t be dependent on you having watched ‘2049,’ [or] you having watched the first ‘Blade Runner.’ ”
The story is also self-contained. Luisa told Collider that the show was conceived as a limited series with a beginning, middle, and end. There are no plans for a second season at this time, unfortunately.
The cast includes:
- Michelle Yeoh
- Hunter Schafer
- Dimitri Abold
- Tom Burke
- Lewis Gribben
- Wil Coban
- Johnny Harris
- Alexandra Russo
- Hugo Hamlet
- Katelyn Rose Downey
- Daniel Rigby
- Amy Lennox
- Sheila Atim
- Matthew Needham
- Maurizio Lombardi
Maya Kvetny (“Das Boot,” “Dangerous Liaisons”), and Nathan Toth (“Dead of Winter,” “Heavyweight”) and Julie Harkin (“Industry,” “Dune: Prophecy”) of Harkin & Toth Casting led the casting for the series.
As for Harkin’s best audition advice, she says authenticity is key. “Just be. Be natural…. I’m a big champion of being yourself and being who you are and not trying to be anybody else,” she told Gold Derby.
She also urges performers to be upfront about their work eligibility and availability. “Always tell the truth about that stuff: passports, visas, location,” Harkin advised in an interview with us. “Don’t tell us a lie about it because you think you might not get the part.” If casting knows about a logistical problem early, the team can fix it, she explained.
The Prague-based Kvetny looks for performers who can help audiences understand people whose lives differ from their own, even those playing villains. In an interview with Radio Prague International, she described great acting as a way to help “unlock wells of compassion for other people.” For nervous performers, she recommends staying grounded and present, and asking the casting director questions before reading when possible.
Filming has concluded on “Blade Runner 2099,” but actors interested in similar projects can explore sci-fi casting calls on Backstage.
From researching a role to developing a character, the stars and creative team of “Blade Runner 2099” have plenty of advice for actors auditioning for similar roles.
Build a character from the inside out: Yeoh learned early in her career that summoning emotions from personal memories wasn’t reliable across multiple takes. “You have to not take anything from yourself, but to become the character,” she told Deadline. Her approach involves building a backstory and learning to think as the character would.
Find your own way into a role: Schafer draws on her art background to explore her characters. While filming “Blade Runner 2099,” she painted watercolor scenes to develop Cora’s inner life. “It takes a few hours to paint these scenes, but I’ve realized on the other side of it that I spent three hours inside of this world that I never would’ve gotten to had I not sat down and picked out each little detail,” she told W Magazine. For your next audition, try a character journal, sketches of the character’s surroundings, or a mood board to explore details that aren’t in the script.
Learn by watching: When Yeoh started acting in Hong Kong films, there was no acting training to turn to, so she learned from her peers. “It’s about opening your eyes, listening, and watching,” she told us. Schafer also learned on the job after landing “Euphoria” through an open casting call with no previous acting experience. “Season 1 was like a super intense acting course,” she told i-D.
Don’t let one bad audition discourage you: Even accomplished actors can have a bad audition. Yeoh told us that nerves can get the better of her. She recalled blowing a reading opposite Tom Hanks for the 2009 film “Angels & Demons.” But as she also explained, “The harder you work, the luckier you get.”
Prepare for the physical demands: Yeoh had no stunt experience when she decided to pursue fight roles, but her ballet training helped her recognize that fight sequences work much like dance routines. She trained with stunt coordinators for six months before landing her first action lead. Movement training and stage-combat classes can help build coordination, confidence, and safe technique. Leave dangerous stunts to qualified professionals.
Even though “Blade Runner 2099” is set to be a limited series, there are plenty of other TV shows casting now. For those eager to join a project on a major streamer, we suggest booking marking this go-to roundup. Our roundup of background casting calls also has plenty of offerings.
For even more opportunities, don’t miss these casting directories:
And finally, keep your acting skills sharp with our tips and advice:
