Possible Connection Between Prometheus And Blade Runner

By Brent McKnight | Published

This article is more than 2 years old

With Ridley Scott’s sci-fi adventure Prometheus landing on Blu-ray next week (October 9th, to be precise), we’re seeing all sorts of leaks and releases of extras and bonus features. Most of what has come out is in the vein of deleted scenes and behind-the-scenes looks. The most interesting thing to hit the airwaves, however, is an Easter egg that suggests a possible connection between Prometheus—and consequently the Alien universe—and one of Scott’s other genre classics, Blade Runner.

Spotted by one observant viewer, this memo was written by Peter Weyland (Guy Pearce). Read it and we’ll see what you think afterwards.

It seems pretty obvious that Weyland is talking about Eldon Tyrell (Joe Turkell), and the replicants produced by his Tyrell Corporation. After all, his headquarters was located in Los Angeles—the City of Angels—and housed inside a pyramid-shaped building. And the replicants were enslaved and sold as laborers “off world.”

I wonder who would win in a fight, David (Michael Fassbender) or Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer)? Probably David, right? Blade Runner takes place in 2019, while Prometheus is set in 2089, so that automatically makes David more advanced technology. He’s probably got some secrets weapons up his sleeve.

At the moment it is unclear whether or not this tidbit is exclusive to the UK version of Prometheus or if all versions will have it.

So what does this mean? The implication is that Tyrell was Weyland’s mentor, but the timeline is problematic. Seventy years have passed between the action of the two movies, and that would make Peter Weyland really, really old. When we see him in Prometheus he does look like he’s about to disintegrate into dust, so it is possible, it just feels like a bit of stretch.

Also, does this mean anything for future films? Scott has talked a lot recently about a possible Blade Runner sequel. Could Pearce show up as a young Peter Weyland in that, should it ever actually materialize. Hell, at this point, do you think we’ll even see part two before 2019 rolls around? Then again, maybe this is nothing more than a fun little bit of additional mythology linking the two worlds together.

One other thing I just realized, this also links the worlds of Blade Runner and Predator. Members of the Weyland family play a part in the Alien Vs. Predator films, and if the universes of Prometheus and Blade Runner are connected, it stands to reason that Predator takes place in the same world. In my head I’m imagining some unholy mash-up of Alien, Blade Runner, and Predator, and giggling a little.