Blade Runner 2049 was the long-awaited and highly anticipated sequel to Ridley Scott’s seminal film Blade Runner, released in 1982. When Blade Runner 2049 left theaters, the fate of the franchise seemed uncertain.
When the 2017 film left theaters, it did so quietly. On a budget of 125 million, and a lot of hope, the film failed to perform well enough to green light a sequel, continuing the legacy of its very highbrow successor, which had also underperformed. What 2049 did do, is energize and reinvigorate a hardcore fan base, particularly the only Blade Runner podcast: Shoulder of Orion.
“I loved 2049” says Jaime Prater, founder and co-hosts of the Podcast. “2049 is a masterpiece, a miracle of a film that has continued to move me intellectually, psychologically and emotionally unlike any film in the past five years. As a writer it was inspiring me to put my own stamp within the universe but in a very different way.”
Prater’s ideas were flowing and he decided to write an hour-long audio drama set within the world of the original Blade Runner film and its prestigious sequel, 2049.
“I wrote 2020: Gethsemane in four days, and then I spent the next year with one of my co-hosts Daniele Ferlito honing the story and the world we were creating.”I called it Gethsemane as a reference to the the garden where Christ is handed his fate. The current socio-economic and political climate is rockier than it has ever been and I wanted to write a story that felt deeply personal, specific to Blade Runner while also speaking to everyone from every walk of life.”
Synopsis:
2020: Gethsemane follows the lives of three Nexus 8 Replicants in hiding as they are confronted with a choice: do they risk their lives for something bigger than themselves, or do they remain safe?
“Such a treat to get new material that is so carefully crafted and ‘in world’ yet very much its own story”
-David B.
Gethsemane is set in San Francisco in the year 2020, just after the events of Ridley Scott’s film Blade Runner. It features an original score written for the drama by Patrick Greene.
“I listened to this fully last night. Let me just say, I found it astounding. This was a terrific job that captured the heart and soul of Blade Runner. I felt like I was within the Blade Runner universe as well. And the production, acting, writing, music, was so good. Like the first film, it wasn't an overly complicated story, but I won't forget its central character. And the hour transported me.”
- Paul W.
Gethsemane was released on June 24th via the official podcast website www.bladerunnerpodcast.com/gethsemane and is available for streaming on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify and iTunes.
Tunes: bit.ly/shoulderoforionitunes // Google Play: bit.ly/shoulderoforiongoogleplay
