Last Updated on by
Alcon Television Group, a division of Alcon Entertainment, has partnered with Adult Swim and Crunchyroll to produce and distribute a new anime series inspired by the critically acclaimed Oscar-winning movie BLADE RUNNER 2049.
BLADE RUNNER – BLACK LOTUS will feature thirteen 30-minute episodes produced by animation studio Sola Digital Arts (Ultraman). Shinji Aramaki (Appleseed) and Kenji Kamiyama (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex) will direct all episodes of the premiere season, which will follow their current directorial work on the upcoming Ghost in the Shell series reboot. Shinichiro Watanabe (Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo) is a creative producer. While the series plot is being kept under wraps, producers have confirmed the story will take place in 2032 and will include some familiar characters from the BLADE RUNNER universe.
Adult Swim will have the worldwide rights (excluding Asia) to distribute the English dubbed versions of the series and will air the English dubbed episodes of BLADE RUNNER – BLACK LOTUS on the network’s popular anime programming block Toonami. Similarly, Crunchyroll will handle worldwide streaming for its community of more than 45 million registered users and 2 million subscribers.
Adult Swim and Crunchyroll are both divisions of WarnerMedia, with BLADE RUNNER – BLACK LOTUS being one of several upcoming exciting collaborations including the recently debuted Mob Psycho 100 on Toonami.
“I first saw BLADE RUNNER in 1982, at age 11. It has remained one of the defining films of my life,” said Jason DeMarco, svp/creative director of Adult Swim on-air. “To be able to explore more of this universe, with the incredible talent we have on board, is a dream come true.”
“BLADE RUNNER is a seminal work, and its influence permeates the genre,” said Sae Whan Song, head of business development for Crunchyroll. “Adult Swim shares our excitement to bring this new series to fans, and we’re looking forward to building on this franchise together.”
Alcon’s Andrew Kosove, Broderick Johnson, Laura Lancaster, Al-Francis Cuenca, and Sola Digital Art’s Joseph Chou will executive produce the project. Alcon exec Ben Roberts will serve as co-executive producer. Production IG’s Mitsuhisa Ishikawa is participating as production advisor.
States Kosove and Johnson, “The BLADE RUNNER universe is an incredibly deep well for story and character with its world and mythology that audiences have been debating and talking about since inception. We are excited to continue exploring that world via this anime series. Lancaster added, “We are thrilled to have Shinji Aramaki, Kenji Kamiyama and Shinichiro Watanabe as our creative partners and look forward to the exciting journey ahead.”
ABOUT ADULT SWIM
Adult Swim (AdultSwim.com), launched in 2001, is Turner’s network offering original and acquired animated and live-action series for young adults. Airing nightly from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. (ET/PT), Adult Swim is basic cable’s #1 network with persons 18-34 and 18-49, and is seen in 94 million U.S. homes.
Turner, a WarnerMedia company, is a global entertainment, sports and news company that creates premium content and delivers exceptional experiences to fans whenever and wherever they consume content. These efforts are fueled by data-driven insights and industry-leading technology. Turner owns and operates some of the most valuable brands in the world, including Adult Swim, Bleacher Report, Boomerang, Cartoon Network, CNN, ELEAGUE, Great Big Story, HLN, iStreamPlanet, TBS, Turner Classic Movies (TCM), TNT, truTV and Turner Sports.
ABOUT CRUNCHYROLL
Crunchyroll is the world’s largest destination for anime and manga, boasting a global community of more than 45 million registered users and over 2 million subscribers. Fans connect through the largest collection of anime including “Naruto Shippuden,” “Attack on Titan,” and “Dragon Ball Super,” Crunchyroll Games, events such as Crunchyroll Expo, Anime Awards, Crunchyroll News, and can purchase related merchandise through its online store. Through its app on game consoles, set-top boxes, mobile devices and more, Crunchyroll delivers content from leading media producers directly to viewers translated professionally in multiple languages. The service is available for free or through a premium offering that allows users to watch ad-free with access to simulcasts—top series available immediately after Japanese broadcast. Fans can also view Crunchyroll on VRV, a fandom-focused video platform featuring premium SVOD channels and a curated house channel, VRV Select.
ABOUT ALCON TELEVISION GROUP
Alcon Television Group is an independently owned television studio and production company based in Los Angeles. Founded in 2015 as a division of Alcon Entertainment, Alcon Television Group finances, develops, produces and distributes a diverse slate of scripted content with global market appeal for distribution on premium subscription networks, digital platforms and major cable and broadcast networks.
Recent projects for Alcon Television Group include the Grammy award-winning, four-part HBO documentary The Defiant Ones which chronicled the divergent roots and unlikely partnership of Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine, now nominated for 5 Emmys including Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series; and the popular holiday special Pete The Cate: A Groovy New Year starring Elvis Costello and Jacob Tremblay for Amazon.
Alcon Television Group’s current projects include the wholly owned hit series The Expanse, a critically acclaimed space thriller which concluded its third season on SYFY and which Amazon Studios recently picked up for season four; and the animated children’s series Pete the Cat, a co-production with Amazon Studios based on the best-selling children’s book series which premiered on the streaming service on September 21.
The Company’s first co-production was the Emmy-nominated documentary Sinatra: All or Nothing at All for HBO. From Oscar winning director Alex Gibney, the intimate portrait of Sinatra as a singer, actor, father, husband and philanthropist remains one of HBO’s most successful shows in the 50+ demographic.
