New Blade Runner 2049 prequel short follows Dave Bautista’s character

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

A couple weeks ago, BLADE RUNNER 2049 director Denis Villeneuve was proud to present the online release of 2036: NEXUS DAWN, a short directed by Luke Scott that showed us an event in life of Jared Leto's villainous character that took place thirteen years before the story in Villeneuve's film. Now Villeneuve presents another Luke Scott short film prequel to his feature – called 2048: NOWHERE TO RUN, this one is set just one year before BLADE RUNNER 2049 and centers on a fellow called Sapper, played by Dave Bautista.

I don't know what Sapper will be up to in 2049, but in 2048 he was not having a very good time. This allows for Bautista to show quite a range of emotions over the course of the short, and he capably handles the task. The former wrestler has a great screen presence and acting skills to go along with it. And yes, the short does also give him the chance to beat the hell out of some ruffians.

A sequel to Ridley Scott's 1982 film BLADE RUNNER, BLADE RUNNER 2049 was written by Michael Green and BLADE RUNNER co-writer Hampton Fancher. The story: 

Officer K, a new blade runner for the Los Angeles Police Department, unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what's left of society into chaos. His discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard, a former blade runner who's been missing for 30 years.

In the cast with Bautista and Leto are Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Ana de Armas, Robin Wright, Mackenzie Davis, David Dastmalchian, Lennie James, Sylvia Hoeks, Carla Juri, Hiam Abbass, Barkhad Abdi, and Edward James Olmos.

BLADE RUNNER 2049 reaches theatres on October 6th. Before then we will be seeing another prequel short, that one an anime from Cowboy Bebop creator Shinichirō Watanabe.