Hunter Schafer Cast in ‘Blade Runner 2099’ Amid ‘Euphoria’ Delay

Hunter Schafer has been cast as a lead character in Prime Video’s Blade Runner 2099.

The Euphoria actress will co-star along with Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh, who was previously announced as starring in the series in an unspecified role. There’s no word yet what role Schafer will play.

Blade Runner 2099 is a limited series is from showrunner Silka Luisa (Shining Girls) and executive produced by original Blade Runner director Ridley Scott. Jonathan van Tulleken (Shogun) will direct the first two episodes.

Schafer is a former model who made her acting debut on the HBO hit series, playing transgender high schooler Jules Vaughn. She’s since landed roles in 2023’s The Hunger Games prequel The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes and the upcoming Neon horror movie Cuckoo from director Tilman Singer. She’s also wrapped production on the A24 feature Mother Mary opposite Anne Hathway.

A long-time political activist, Schafer has been deeply involved in campaigns surrounding LGBTQ+ issues and received national notice while opposing North Carolina’s anti-trans legislation HB2, the so-called “bathroom bill,” in 2016. In February, Schafer was arrested in New York City along with a group of Jewish Voice for Peace protesters who planned to disrupt President Joe Biden‘s appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers in an effort to call for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.

The casting comes amid Euphoria being delayed as creator Sam Levinson reworks his season 3 scripts. Earlier this week, another actor from the HBO series, Eric Dane, was cast in Prime Video’s Countdown. Sources have told Hollywood Reporter that multiple factors are behind HBO’s decision to delay production on the third season of the drama starring Zendaya, notably conversations between the network and Levinson on where the action will be set after the characters leave high school. Sources close to the series say Levinson’s plan is to feature a time jump when the third season eventually returns — ideally in 2025 but no longer guaranteed.

In addition to Luisa and Scott, Blade Runner 2099‘s executive producers include Andrew Kosove, Broderick Johnson, Ben Roberts, David W. Zucker, Clayton Krueger, Tom Spezialy, Richard Sharkey, Michael Green, Cynthia Yorkin, Frank Giustra and Isa Dick Hackett.

There’s no premiere date as of yet, and the project is the first live-action Blade Runner property since the 2017 film Blade Runner 2049.

— Lesley Goldberg contributed to this report.