A second prequel short introduces a new character from Blade Runner 2049

Blade Runner 2049 is still a few weeks away, but fans will be able to get another look at the sequel with the release of the second of three short film prequels over at the iTunes Trailers site, via Polygon, and on YouTube.

Titled 2048: Nowhere to Run, this second prequel is set 12 years after the first short film, 2036: Nexus Dawn that was released a few weeks ago, and — as the name suggests — just a year before the upcoming Blade Runner 2049.

The new short puts the spotlight on Dave Bautista’s character, Sapper. In Nowhere to Run, we see him making his way through an ordinary day in the grimy, dark future of Los Angeles. Of course, things go south, forcing Sapper into a violent confrontation of physical violence to defend a mother and her child — an action that may reveal a hint of Sapper’s true nature. This might also put the authorities on his tail, as we’ve seen in one of the trailers. For fans looking to dive deeper, it seems that there may be some parallels between Sapper and the book that he gifts the young girl, The Power and the Glory.

Like the first short film, 2048: Nowhere to Run was directed by Luke Scott, the son of original Blade Runner director Ridley Scott.

Update September 17, 10:00AM: included YouTube video.