Raised by Wolves: Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner Meets Dune in a Hard Sci-Fi Masterclass Series
A meeting of sci-fi themes
Blade Runner and Dune both use futuristic worlds to examine the consequences of technological change and concentrated power. Their settings and approaches differ: one is a neon-lit cyberpunk dystopia, while the other spans an interstellar civilization shaped by religion, empire and ecological exploitation.
Raised by Wolves connects those distinct traditions while building a world of its own. Set on the uninhabited planet Kepler-22b, the series begins with two androids tasked with raising children after a religious war devastates Earth.
Androids and family bonds
Mother, played by Amanda Collin, and Father, played by Abubakar Salim, are meant to raise the children as atheists. As they develop emotional attachments, the story questions whether artificial consciousness can form genuine familial bonds.
Father’s insecurity and Mother’s protectiveness complicate the line between programming and feeling. The series echoes Blade Runner’s interest in artificial life, suggesting simulated emotions can appear more convincing than the humanity shown by some people.
Faith, power and violence
The Mithraic, a religious group devoted to Sol, use their faith to justify violence. Survivors of Earth’s holy war interpret the mysteries of Kepler-22b through prophecy, treating unexplained events as support for their beliefs.
That focus recalls Dune’s examination of religious authority and manipulation. In Raised by Wolves, however, faith and artificial intelligence are intertwined: the story connects questions about who should raise humanity with the role of belief after catastrophe.
An ambitious, ended series
Created by Aaron Guzikowski, who had previously worked with Dune trilogy director Denis Villeneuve, the series also features Ridley Scott as an executive producer. Scott directed its first two episodes.
Raised by Wolves ran for two seasons between 2020 and 2022. Its demanding exploration of family tensions, religious warfare and life on an alien planet gave it a distinctive identity, and HBO Max later ended the series.
Key points
- Raised by Wolves ran for two seasons from 2020 to 2022.
- Ridley Scott executive-produced the show and directed its first two episodes.
- The series explores artificial consciousness, family, faith and religious authority on Kepler-22b.
- HBO Max ended the series.