Blade Runner 2099 will be shot in the Czech Republic

Czechia will be the filming location of the highly-anticipated U.S. series Blade Runner 2099, a sequel to the iconic sci-fi films Blade Runner and Blade Runner 2049, the Czech Film Commission (CFK) has announced.

The series will be filmed in Prague’s Barrandov Studios and will likely leave a significant economic impact on the country’s film-production industry. Amazon Prime Video will platform the series, though producers have not yet announced an official release date.

The series will take place 50 years after the events of Blade Runner 2049, which was directed by Denis Villeneuve and starred Ryan Gosling. The film and the series are sequels to the 1982 cult classic directed by British director Ridley Scott and starring American actor Harrison Ford.

A cast for Blade Runner 2099 has yet to be announced. According to The Prague Reporter, the first two episodes of the limited series will be directed by Jonathan van Tulleken (Shōgun). Scott will serve as executive producer.

According to CFK head Pavlína Žipková, the series’ first season will be filmed between June and December. Barrandov Studio CEO Petr Tichý revealed that the production could bring up to CZK 1 billion to the Czech Republic. It will be one of the most demanding projects produced in the country, including large-scale constructions at Barrandov, the CFK notes.

“We don't know which buildings will be built, how many filming days there will be – we are really at the beginning [of the project],” Tichý added. He said that production times and amounts would be similar to those of the Carnival Row series, part of which was also filmed in Czechia.

The Czech Republic has become a popular destination for foreign filmmakers, with recent productions such as Adam Sandler's Netflix film Cosmonaut z Cech (Spaceman of Bohemia) and Netflix's The Gray Man filmed in Prague.

Additionally, the Apple TV+ series Foundation 2 and Hollywood blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and Casino Royale have also used the Czech capital as a filming location.

The economic impact of foreign productions in the Czech Republic has been significant, with the second season of Carnival Row costing CZK 1.4 billion for producers. 

Other movies shot in Prague include Mission Impossible, Spiderman: Far From Home, and The Bourne Identity.