BLADE RUNNER: 2049 prequel short: '2048: Nowhere to Run'
Warner Bros. and Denis Villeneuve released the second of three 'in-world' prequel shorts as a lead-in to Blade Runner 2049
Check out the short "2048: Nowhere to Run" below
Directed by Luke Scott, Blade Runner's second prequel short "2048: Nowhere to Run" takes place twelve years after the intro of the nearly perfected replicant model, "Nexus 9" unveiled by Tyrell Corporation Head, Niander Wallace (Jared Leto). In 2048, we're given a glimpse into the present day, where the streets of LA have become uninhabitable, stricken by hunger, poverty and sickness. The government has since repealed the ban on replicant manufacturing, thanks in part due to Wallace's Nexus 9; and the LAPD have committed additional resources to locate remaining illegal replicants. Enter Sapper Morton played by hulking bruiser Dave Bautista.
"Nowhere to Run" offers a bleak but visual feast, illustrating dystopia's struggle for human survival through the lens of Bautista's "Sapper Morton". The brief six minute short follows the mysterious lone rogue as he visits a young friend named Isla, presenting her with The Power and the Glory, a novel written by British author Graham Greene which tells the story of a renegade Roman Catholic priest living in the Mexican state of Tabasco during a time when the Mexican government was attempting to suppress the Catholic Church. Aside from the obvious social/political parallels, Morton's possession of the novel suggests the lone rogue (and likely Nexus 8 model) possesses an emotional intelligence that transcends the confines of artificial consciousness. For young Ilsa, we're presented with the reality that history lessons can still be taught through the work of fiction.
While "Nowhere to Run" succeeds in its narrative, you can't help but want to see more of Bautista's "Sapper Morton" from both a story and acting perspective. Dare I say Bautista channels the delicate nature of Bruce Banner and the voracious aggression of the Incredible Hulk? Check out the entire short and decide for yourself.
October 6 can't come soon enough!
Blade Runner 2049 is co-written by Hampton Fancher (Blade Runner) and Michael Green (Green Lantern), and stars Harrison Ford, Ryan Gosling, Jared Leto, Ana de Armas, Robin Wright, Barkhad Abdi, Lennie James, Mackenzie Davis, Sylvia Hoeks, Dave Bautista and Edward James Olmos.
"2048: Nowhere to Run"
Check out the timeline of events below!
2019 to 2049 Timeline
2019: A prototype Replicant, Rachael, and Officer Rick Deckard, a Blade Runner, escape Los Angeles together.
2020: After the death of founder Eldon Tyrell, the Tyrell Corporation rushes a new line of Nexus 8 Replicants onto market for use Off-world. Unlike previous Nexus models, built with 4-year lifespans, the Nexus 8s have open-ended lifespans, as well as ocular implants for easy identification.
2022: An EMP of unknown origin detonates somewhere in the West Coast. Cities shut down for weeks. Electronic data is corrupted for destroyed over most of the United States. Finance and trade markets crash worldwide. Food supplies become dire. Theories spread as to the cause of the Blackout; none are proven. The most popular Replicants.
2023: The governing authorities legislate an indefinite “prohibition” on replicant production. Nexus 6 models are now all decommissioned due to their programmed 4-year lifespans. Surviving Nexus 8 models are to be retired. Those that can, go into hiding.
2025: Idealistic scientist Niander Wallace pioneers advancements in genetically modified food and shares his patents for free, marking an end to a global crisis. His company, Wallace Corporation, E&C, expands across the globe — and into the Off-world colonies.
2028: Niander Wallace acquires the remains of the bankrupt Tyrell Corporation.
2030s: Niander Wallace improves upon Tyrell’s genetic engineering and memory implantation methods to make Replicants obedient and controllable.
2036: Prohibition is repealed. Wallace reintroduces a new line of “perfected” Replicants — The Nexus 9.
2040s: The LAPD commits additional resources to bolster its existing Blade Runner unit, tasked with location illegal Replicants — and retiring them.
2048: …
2049: When we return to Los Angeles, 30 years after the original movie, climate change has caused the sea level to rise dramatically. A massive Sea Wall has been built along with Sepulveda Pass to protect the Los Angeles basin. Los Angeles is even more uninhabitable than before and filled with poverty and sickness. Humans, who were not well enough to leave for the off-world colonies, are left behind. There is no fresh food, and inhabitants survive on Wallace’s genetically modified food products sold from vending machines at street markets.
