Planning on going to see Blade Runner 2049? Then you need to watch this first

We can't wait to see the new Blade Runner, and all of this is just getting us even more excited.

The director of Blade Runner 2049 is the exceptional Dennis Villenueve (Sicario, Arrival, Prisoners), and he asked some other directors to make some short films that would bridge the narrative gap between the 1982 original and the 2017 sequel, as well as the 2019 setting of the original and the 2049 setting that the new movie takes place in. In the last few weeks the short films have been released, but we're going to present them to you here in a kind of chronological order, starting off with Blade Runner 2022: Black Out. Written and directed by Shinichiro Watanabe (Cowboy Bebop), this animated short tells the story of the public turning on the replicants, and the replicants subsequent master plan to exact revenge on humanity. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrZk9sSgRyQ Next up is Blade Runner 2036: Nexus, which tells the story of how Nianader Wallace (Jared Leto) manages to turn the tide against the replicant ban, using some very "persuasive" means. It was directed by Luke Scott, the son of Ridley Scott, director of the original Blade Runner who has stayed on as executive producer for the sequel. Luke previously directed Morgan, a stark sci-fi thriller, so this was definitely within his wheelhouse. We guess the apple didn't fall very far from the tree here... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgsS3nhRRzQ And finally, we've got Blade Runner 2048: Nowhere to Run. Also directed by Luke Scott, it takes place just one year before the upcoming sequel, and deals with ageing replicant Sapper (Dave Bautista) - the eagle eyed of you will have spotted him in the Black Out short - trying to live a normal life, and humanity getting in the way of that. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ9Os8cP_gg Blade Runner 2049 arrived in cinemas on Friday, and the reviews have been nothing short of phenomenal. Here's another look at the trailer... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDDbsoTpThc All clips via Warner Bros. Pictures