Forget Blade Runner, Prime Video's Most Exciting '80s Sci-Fi Revival Series Comes Later

Published Oct 4, 2026, 5:45 PM EDT Faith Roswell is a Senior Writer on Screen Rant's Classic TV team. Since earning her degree in Creative Writing over a decade ago, Faith has written articles on film and TV from a variety of different angles. Faith now combines her knowledge of psychology with her love of monster movies to give more insight into what makes the best ones. You may have read her Screen Rant lists and features covering horror, sci-fi, and fantasy, or read her Amazon Top 10 book, "Movie Monsters of the Deep." Faith has had an extensive career as a writer, appearing on BBC live radio, researching true crime for Rotten Mango podcast, and writing for publications including Mental Floss, Atlas Obscura, and The Daily Jaws before beginning here at Screen Rant. Some iconic movies and TV shows define the 1980s no matter how many times they are remade, but two of Prime Video's upcoming sci-fi projects look set to test this out. Blade Runner is one of the best cyberpunk movies of all time and even the updated visuals in Blade Runner 2049 could not overwrite this impact, so understandably, the Blade Runner 2099 TV miniseries due for release in 2026 is currently getting most of the attention for its ambition. However, another stealth project is quietly setting itself up to rival Blade Runner in terms of scope and future potential. When considering the greatest cyberpunk TV shows and movies of all time, movies like Blade Runner and TV shows like Mr. Robot would likely be included in the list, but the RoboCop franchise is arguably just as essential to the cyberpunk genre, and Prime Video's upcoming 2027 reboot is a more exciting prospect than even Blade Runner. Relatively little is known about the rebooted miniseries, but it has been confirmed that Dan Stevens will be the new RoboCop, taking over the role from Joel Kinnaman, who also starred in the modern cyberpunk masterpiece, Altered Carbon. Robocop Could Be A Better '80s Sci-Fi Revival Than Blade Runner 2099 The original 1987 RoboCop is set in an apocalyptic Detroit that now feels far too close for comfort, with an evil corporation privatizing the police force and repopulating it with cyborgs. When police officer Alex Murphy is lured into a dangerous situation where he is murdered in the line of duty, he is resurrected in the form of "RoboCop," a cyborg crime fighter with no memory of his former life. As he slowly regains his memories, he turns on the corrupt system that created him. Both the upcoming 1980s sci-fi reboots are highly anticipated, but RoboCop feels current, with the story being much more than "police Terminator." RoboCop's premise may sound shallow, but it is a biting social commentary that highlights corporate greed, the fear of replacing jobs with AI, and the complex narratives around the police force. On the other hand, the Blade Runner franchise is famous for its slow pace and deep psychological exploration, which is likely to result in the kind of mind-bending TV show that is sorely needed in an era of fast cuts and TV made for watching while distracted. Comparing the original RoboCop and Blade Runner movies Title Year Rotten Tomatoes critics' rating Rotten Tomatoes audience rating Blade Runner 1982 89% 91% RoboCop 1987 84% 84% The movies and TV shows in the Blade Runner franchise all expand its universe, with the worldbuilding being some of the most intriguing and complex in sci-fi, as each entry reveals more beneath the surface. This makes creating more shows and movies a long but rewarding process, as shown by the gaps between the live-action movies and 2026 show. That said, the premise for RoboCop is much simpler, and a successful reboot has the potential to quickly become a long-running TV show that could appear to fans of fast-paced action series like Reacher, rather than just sci-fi fans. Blade Runner Faces More Pressure After 2 Iconic Movies Both RoboCop and Blade Runner have extensive spinoffs and projects, but while the follow-up entries in the RoboCop franchise have generally been critically panned, Blade Runner has more to live up to. Blade Runner 2049 was a box office failure, falling far short of the $400 million it needed to break even, with Ridley Scott telling IndieWire that at 163 minutes, "It’s slow. It’s slow. Long. Too long. I would have taken out half an hour.” However, the movie drew overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics and received an 88% positive Rotten Tomatoes rating from both critics and audiences. Blade Runner 2049 has become a sleeper hit with a cult following, which leaves the upcoming TV series under a lot of pressure. That said, many have been optimistic as the show will star respected action veteran Michelle Yeoh alongside Hunter Schafer, with Ridley Scott onboard as an executive producer. With the 1980s nostalgia trend showing no signs of vanishing, Prime Video's upcoming reboots may next establish the platform as a serious contender with Apple TV in terms of sci-fi content, with Blade Runner 2099 and RoboCop being wildly different but very exciting, with RoboCop just having the edge. Source: IndieWire Robocop Showrunner Peter Ocko Writers Peter Ocko Cast