TheBlade Runneruniverse goes beyond its official entries and connects to other major properties like theAlienfranchise. The originalRidley Scott moviewas a box office disappointment in 1982, withBlade Runnerbeing critiqued as style over substance. Decades later, it’s regarded as a landmark work in the sci-fi genre.
Between 1979’sAlienandBlade Runner, Scott set a template for how filmmakers and artists would visualize the future.The film’s reputation would only grow with the release of 1991’sBlade Runner: Director’s Cutversion, which restored several key scenes and dropped Harrison Ford’s dreary voiceover.
Given that it was a box office dud,Blade Runnerwas a most unlikely candidate to become a franchise - but it happened regardless. An official sequel arrived in 2017 from director Denis Villeneuve, not to mention other offshoots like an upcoming TV series.
Blade Runneris such a totemic piece of sci-fi that it has linked up to other franchises over the yearstoo, in ways both subtle and not so subtle. Since the original hints at a much larger world beyond what audiences are shown, it’s fitting that the property itself opens into a bigger universe.
Blade Runner Is A Franchise In Its Own Right
2049 was worth the decades-long wait
It’s not likeBlade Runner,with its dark themes and bleak vision of the future, naturally lent itself to becoming a franchise. Still,the original became so revered in the years following its release that a sequel finally happened with 2017’sBlade Runner 2049, with Ridley Scott passing the reins to Denis Villeneuve.
Despite critical acclaim and certain critics arguing it was just as brilliant as the original,Blade Runner 2049bombed upon release, grossing over $277 million worldwide on an estimated $185 million budget (viaBox Office Mojo). In hindsight, a long, meditative and largely action-free blockbuster probably wasn’t the safest bet, but I’m so glad it got made.
The next entry in the saga will be the live-action Amazon series Blade Runner 2099, starring Hunter Schafer and Michelle Yeoh.
The launch of the sequel also saw the release of three short film spin-offs:2036: Nexus Dawngave more backstory on Jared Leto’s villain Niander Wallace,2048: Nowhere to Runwas a prologue for Dave Bautista’s doomed replicant Sapper, and the animatedBlade Runner Black Out 2022gives critical background to2049.
The animated TV spin-offBlade Runner: Black Lotusonly lasted for a single season, despite a largely positive critical reception. The next big entry in the saga will be the live-action Amazon seriesBlade Runner 2099, starring Hunter Schafer and Michelle Yeoh.
How Blade Runner Connects To The Alien Franchise
Do the Ridley Scott classics link to one another?
On the surface,Blade RunnerandAlienhave much in common. They both paint dark futures for mankind and feature android characters questioning what it means to be human. In the movies, there are no direct links between them, butin official home media releases,theAlienfranchisehas referencedBlade Runner.
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A 1999 DVD release ofAlienmentioned that Tom Skerritt’s Captain Dallas worked forBlade Runner’sTyrell Corporation in the past. Elsewhere, an easter egg on a special edition release ofPrometheusfeatured Peter Weyland talking about Tyrell in a memo.
Granted, these links are tenuous, since neither franchise has confirmed them in a movie. They could just be read as fun nods for fans ofAlienandBlade Runner, but given how big a hand Scott had in creating both worlds, it doesn’t feel like a huge stretch to connect them.
Predator Must Also Be Part Of The Blade Runner Universe
Deckard vs Predator has a nice ring to it
Blade Runner’sconnective tissue withAlienis where things get real interesting, since this would also give it links toPredator. WhileRidley Scott and other creatives involved with the property would like to pretend theAlien vs Predatorfilms don’t exist, there’s plenty of proof they do.
The Xenomorph skull glimpsed inPredator 2is what kicked the whole crossover saga into gear, from the movies to comic books and games. 2018’sThe Predatorfeatures plenty of easter eggs from that franchise, including the Xenomorph tail spear used by Lex (Sanaa Lathan) inAlien vs Predator.
… the upcoming Predator: Badlands confirms that the nefarious Weyland-Yutani definitely exists in that franchise.
Scott’s prequelsPrometheusandAlien: Covenantseemed to sever those ties, butthe upcomingPredator: Badlandsconfirms that the nefarious Weyland-Yutani definitely exists in that franchise. There have also been suggestions that the two properties could crossover again soon.
Kurt Russell’s Soldier Is A “Sidequel” To Blade Runner
Blade Runner and Soldier were both penned by David Webb Peoples
Kurt Russell’s box office dudSoldierhas found a cult following since it arrived in 1998, and has come to be seen as a spin-off ofBlade Runner. That’s thanks to an interview Paul W.S. Anderson gave around its release, asSoldier’sdirector dubbed his film a “sidequel” to Scott’s classic.
The sci-fi actioner contains nods toBlade Runner’sSpinner vehicles, and the reveal thatRussell’s Todd fought in the battle of Tannhäuser Gate mentioned in Batty’s haunting “tear in rain” speech. Both films also examine what it means to be human in a grim future world.
Blade Runner Is Connected To Firefly Via Alien
Weyland-Yutani is still hanging around in the world of Firefly
Despite writing the screenplay, Joss Whedon famously hatedAlien Resurrection. He felt the 1997 sequel was miscast and botched his story, but as proven with his cult sci-fi seriesFirefly, he still had love for the property. For instance,inFirefly’spilot episode, the Weyland-Yutani can be seen clearly on the interface for a gun turret.
Joss Whedon also penned a script for a fifthAlienmovie that would have taken Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley 8 to Earth, butResurrection’stepid reception led to the sequel being canned.
Elsewhere, Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Operative inSerenityadopted the company’s motto, as he is trying to “build better worlds” throughout the universe. Again, the links are questionable since they’re in the form of easy-to-miss easter eggs, but ifFireflyis connected - even tenuously - toAlien, that means it hasBlade Runnerties too.
Blade Runner
TheBlade Runnerfranchise is a cyberpunk science fiction series originating from the 1968 novelDo Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?by Philip K. Dick. The franchise began with the 1982 filmBlade Runner, directed by Ridley Scott, which, although initially underappreciated, has since become a seminal work in science fiction cinema. The franchise explores complex themes of humanity, identity, and artificial intelligence, set in a dystopian future where bioengineered beings known as replicants are hunted by special agents called Blade Runners. The franchise has expanded to include a sequel film, several short films, an anime series, upcoming TV series, video games, and comics, all of which continue to explore the rich and complex world ofBlade Runner.
Alien
The Alien franchise, which began with Ridley Scott’s 1979 film, is a Sci-Fi series comprised of several horror films, games, and comic books centered on humanity’s encounters with a hostile extraterrestrial species known as Xenomorphs. Characterized by their lethal prowess and capability to reproduce at an alarming rate, these creatures pose a profound threat to human existence. The primary series protagonist, Ellen Ripley, acts as the voice of reason as she seeks to keep the creatures out of the hands of greed-driven corporate scientists.
Predator
Predator is an action sci-fi franchise created by Jim and John Thomas, beginning with the original film released in 1987. The franchise follows a warrior alien race known as the Yautja who travel the far reaches of space looking for worthy prey to hunt, constantly bringing them to Earth due to the sheer amount of conflict harbored on it. The series has spun off into comic books and animated features and has even enjoyed several crossover events via film and video games with the Aliens franchise.
Soldier
Cast
Soldier is a 1998 science fiction action film directed by Paul W.S. Anderson. It stars Kurt Russell as Todd 3465, a genetically-engineered soldier trained from birth. After being defeated by a new breed of warriors, Todd finds himself discarded on a distant planet where he must confront his past and protect a new community from existential threats. The film explores themes of obsolescence, resilience, and redemption.
Firefly
Firefly is a science fiction television series set in the year 2517, focusing on the crew of the spaceship Serenity. As humans inhabit a new star system, the renegade crew, led by Captain Malcolm Reynolds, navigates conflicts and alliances while pursuing their own interests across lawless territories.
