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New Blade Runner anime series headed to Adult Swim

The 13-episode animated series Black Lotus is inspired by Blade Runner.

Bonnie Burton
Journalist Bonnie Burton writes about movies, TV shows, comics, science and robots. She is the author of the books Live or Die: Survival Hacks, Wizarding World: Movie Magic Amazing Artifacts, The Star Wars Craft Book, Girls Against Girls, Draw Star Wars, Planets in Peril and more! E-mail Bonnie.
Bonnie Burton
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The creative team behind the short film Blade Runner Black Out 2022 are working on a new anime series for Adult Swim. 

Video screenshot by Bonnie Burton/CNET

More Replicants are on the way.

Adult Swim and Crunchyroll have partnered with Alcon Television Group to create and distribute a new anime series inspired by Blade Runner, according to reports from Variety and The Hollywood Reporter on Thursday. 

The13-episode animated series called Blade Runner - Black Lotus will be set in the year 2032, in between 2017's Blade Runner 2049 and director Ridley Scott's original 1982 Blade Runner.

Black Lotus will also include some familiar characters from the Blade Runner universe, though specific details on the plot are still under wraps. 

Animation studio Sola Digital Arts will produce the new series, with Shinji Aramaki and Kenji Kamiyama (Ghost in the Shell reboot) directing all episodes. Shinichiro Watanabe (Cowboy Bebop) will act as a creative producer.

Watanabe previously wrote and directed the anime short film Blade Runner Black Out 2022, which aired online as one of three short prequels to Blade Runner 2049. Aramaki also worked on Black Out 2022 as part of the art department.

Adult Swim has worldwide distribution rights (excluding Asia) to the English-dubbed version of the series, and plans to air it in the U.S. as part of its Toonami anime block. Crunchyroll will handle worldwide streaming. 

No air date for Blade Runner - Black Lotus has been announced. 

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