Blade Runner was set in November 2019. Welcome to the future.

Blade Runner&#039;s opening credits — (Image credit: Screenshot/YouTube/Blade Runner)

When Ridley Scott directed Blade Runner in 1982, based loosely on a 1968 Philip K. Dick novel, the future he created was dark, violent, and set in Los Angeles — in November 2019.

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So here we are in November 2019, and there are no flying cars, no Replicants, no human space colonies, and no futuristic giant office pyramids in Southern California. But they were right about the disruptive power of giant tech companies and, sadly, fires in Los Angeles. You can learn more about the 1982 world of November 2019 in Blade Runner's opening credits below. Peter Weber

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.