The upcoming anime from Adult Swim and Crunchyroll based on “Blade Runner” just announced their voice cast. Alcon Entertainment, who owns the IP rights to the franchise, is producing along with animation studio Sola Digital Arts. Creative producer is Shinichiro Watanabe (“Cowboy Bebop,” “Samurai Champloo“). Shinji Aramaki (“Appleseed“) and Kenji Kamiyama (“Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex“) will direct.
The cast list for “Black Lotus” includes Jessica Henwick, Arisa Shida, Will Yun Lee, Shinshu Fuji, Samira Wiley, Takako Honda, Brian Cox, Wes Bentley, Josh Duhamel, Taiten Kusunoki, Peyton List, Yoshiko Sakakibara, Stephen Root, Hochu Otsuka, Barkhad Abdi, Takayuki Kinba, Gregg Henry, Masane Tsukayama, Henry Czerny, Akio Nojima, Jason Spisak and Kazuki Yao. Obviously, this includes both Japanese and English-speaking actors.
- Elle, a female replicant created for a secret and unknown purpose, will be played by Jessica Henwick / Arisa Shida
- Joseph, a mysterious figure who owns a spare parts junkyard in Los Angeles, will be played by Will Yun Lee / Shinshu Fuji
- Alani Davis, a fresh LAPD recruit, will be played by Samira Wiley / Takako Honda
- Niander Wallace Sr, founder and CEO of the Wallace Corporation, will be played by Brian Cox / Takaya Hashi
- Niander Wallace Jr, brilliant scientist working for his father, will be played by Wes Bentley / Takehito Koyasu
- Marlowe, a deadly Blade Runner, will be played by Josh Duhamel / Taiten Kusunoki
- Josephine Grant, the wife of the police chief, will be played by Peyton List / Yoshiko Sakakibara
- Earl Grant, Police Chief of the LAPD, will be played by Stephen Root / Hochu Otsuka
- Doc Badger, a black market dealer, will be played by Barkhad Abdi / Takayuki Kinba
- Senator Bannister, a politician with strong feelings on replicant production, will be played by Gregg Henry / Masane Tsukayama
- Doctor M, a brilliant doctor and professor of medicine, will be played by Henry Czerny / Akio Nojima
- Hooper, a journalist in the pocket of the Wallace Corporation, will be played by Jason Spisak / Kazuki Yao
The 13-episode series, titled “Blade Runner: Black Lotus,” will have it’s first look premiere during San Diego Comic Con (SDCC) At Home on July 23rd, 2021. At present, Aramaki, Kamiyama, Joseph Chou, (executive producer), Wes Gleason (voice director), Henwick (voice of Elle), and Jason DeMarco (co-creator of Toonami/senior vice-president and creative director for Adult Swim/moderator) are expected to be a part of the panel.
There isn’t any known release date yet, but we assume that’ll come with the panel.
