Due to the ongoing Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike, filming of Amazon Studios‘ TV series Blade Runner 2099 in Belfast has been postponed.
Ridley Scott, who directed the original 1982 Blade Runner film, executive produces the series. It is based on the 50 years after sequel Blade Runner 2049 which was directed by Denis Villeneuve.
In a statement, Northern Ireland Screen announced, “Northern Ireland Screen is extremely disappointed that Blade Runner 2099 is not going ahead at this time due to the ongoing writers’ strike. The project has been prepping on the ground in Belfast for many months now. The WGA strike has been halting production all over the world and we hope a fair deal is reached soon so crew can get back to work.”
This situation clearly creates a void in Northern Ireland’s production schedule, prompting them to exert every effort in promptly addressing this gap.
Multiple late night shows, daytime soap operas such as Saturday Night Live could all see their seasons cut short due to the strike. With uncertainty looming over the television industry, it’s anyone’s guess how this will all play out. But one thing is for sure: audiences are sure to feel the effects of the strike, one way or another.
