Ridley Scott's Two Most Famous Movies Have a Connection You Never Noticed

Summary:

• Released in 1979 and 1982 respectively, the Ridley Scott- directed sci-fi films Alien and Blade Runner are watershed classics that launched massive franchises.
• The two films have a common thematic connection and similar story sensibilities, making them work nicely as a double feature.
• While each of the films is outstanding on its own merits, there have been hints by Scott that the two are related directly, which adds to their overall entertainment value.

Did Nostromo’s crew members dream of electric sheep? Was the Tannhäuser Gate within their flight range? Do cops in Ellen Ripley’s world favor eating synthetic noodles (as opposed to synthetic donuts)?

That is to say, the Alien and Blade Runner franchises are clearly in the same gritty sci-fi ballpark. Aside from the participation of Ridley Scott, who directed the first parts of both film series (as well as a couple of Alien spin-offs), the two franchises have the same cynical outlook on the future of humanity and feature atypical action heroes who, when facing their opponents, skirt the line between being the hunter and the hunted.

The question of the first Alien and Blade Runner films having a shared universe might have been in the heads of some fans back when those movies premiered in 1979 and 1982, respectively. As the time passed, the filmmakers have left several signs showing that both film series indeed have a shared continuity.

For instance, among the bonus features included as part of the first Alien film’s 1999 DVD rerelease, a video dossier contained a reference showing that Tom Skeritt’s Dallas, the ill-fated captain of Nostromo, used to work for Tyrell Corporation – the architects behind the replicants in the Blade Runner universe.

Enthusiasts on social media did not fail to spot the connection, highlighting the nod to familiar company title with a knowing wink.

“Ridley Scott once said he could imagine Dallas eating at the same noodle stand as Deckard if he ever made it home. He liked the idea of a sort of ‘shared universe,’” Redditor Mr. Snrub88 explained.

As far as fans are concerned, the link between the two film franchises became even more obvious when an obscure tie-in comic that accompanied the release of the crossover Alien vs. Predator film. Its plot revealed the existence of a world-changing cataclysm in the backstories of both the Alien and Predator universes that was purposely fashioned after a similar catastrophic event in the fictional timeline of the Blade Runner franchise (then consisting of just one film – the original).

This means that another big sci-fi film is probably part of the shared canon including Alien and Blade Runner – pretty neat, huh?

In the background of the Alien prequel Prometheus, sharp-eyed viewers were also able to spot a few tidbits that betray the narrative proximity between Ridley Scott’s two storied films, alluding to the presence of replicants in the world where humans play cat-and-mouse with xenomorphs.

However, a further glance at the known evidence also makes it clear that a less celebrated film connects to that same continuity, that being the sci-fi action dud Soldier from 1998, which starred Kurt Russell. Escape from Cringetown was not in the cards for the cult actor at that point, it seems.

That said, it is reassuring to know that Scott himself is fond of the fact that the ties between his two masterpieces are growing as their universes get more interesting thanks to the introduction of new details. It makes a lot of sense for Alien and Blade Runner to be interrelated as this adds to both films’ thematic focus and their unique lore.

The jury is still out on the nutritional value of artificial noodles, though.