VIRAL NEWS
Does This 'Prometheus' Easter Egg Hint at a 'Blade Runner' Tie-In?
by Alex Billington
October 6, 2012
Source: ScreenCrush
"Dictated but not read." Well, what do we have here, Mr. Weyland? That ominous October 11th, 2012 date seen in the viral and end of the credits for Prometheus is fast approaching. But as many assumed, it's right around the DVD/Blu-Ray release date for Prometheus. However, with this release comes a lot of new reveals and surprises (like an Engineer reading books?). There's Easter Eggs, extended/deleted scenes that fill in a lot of the big gaps, and much more yet to be found. One intriguing discovery made recently is this - an odd, but nonetheless real, reference to Blade Runner (which Ridley Scott is making a sequel of) in some text.
The discovery was first made by Reddit user Huxleyism (via ScreenCrush) who wrote a rather hyperbolic but appropriate title: "HOLY SHIT. Prometheus and Blade Runner tie in, directly written on the bonus features of the steelbook bluray." Beyond that he doesn't say how exactly he found it, but it's from the Steelbook UK Prometheus release. The text, written by Peter Weyland (played by Guy Pearce), explains vaguely some connection to one Dr. Eldon Tyrell, which is the obvious part once you actually read it. Things like the pyramid, "simple robotics instead of those genetic abominations", his "corporation" (Tyrell Corp) and so on.
Here's the piece of text that he took a photo of, apparently hidden in the Prometheus Steelbook somewhere:
Despite this being at most a reference and perhaps not too much else, other bloggers have gone the extra mile and tried to connect the dots to the in-the-works Ridley Scott Blade Runner sequel. We've known since early 2011 that Alcon Entertainment was developing a new Blade Runner movie, and they somehow got Ridley Scott to agree to do it. Last year, Ridley himself teased that it's "liable to be a sequel", but beyond that, details are rather vague on what it'll be/when it'll be set. We're all waiting to hear for something more about and, well, since this is a hint, time to jump on it and turn the connection into a buzz-worthy rumor.
Now don't forget, at the end of the credits of Prometheus there was a tag that ended up linking to more viral content that seemed to hint that there was more to come. It first unlocked a hint at Comic-Con viral, which was there briefly. So you never know - Fox, Ridley, Damon Lindelof and the crafty minds behind this could be trying to turn all of Ridley's sci-fi movies into one big universe, because it is a good marketing hook anyway. However, that 10-11-12 website now just auto-links to Project Prometheus and the date has changed to 10-09-12 - the DVD release day. So the reference may not be a full connection, but it is pretty damn cool.
Huxleyism does remind us of another thing: "Must ask question: Has this been written about before? Blade Runner is set in 2019. Prometheus in 2090. Wayland is old." At least the timing checks out, and if Ridley is really making a Blade Runner sequel, the timeframe could work for a cool connection like this - maybe Guy Pearce will show up in the new Blade Runner? We'll have to see. Only time, of course, will tell. Hat tip: read this April 2012 editorial - "Will Prometheus Create a Shared Universe Between Alien and Blade Runner?"
Update: There's more! Thanks to reader @stephenstaunton there's apparently a "Supplementary Pod" on the Blu-Ray as well that really makes big hints at this cross-universe as well. So it may be real? Check out this screenshot below from one of the featurettes titled "Merging Ridleyverses" - not obvious enough yet? Here's part of a transcript he sent me: "There's one idea that I'm very sad that we didn't do. Ridley, one day, came in and said, "You know, I'm thinking what if it's the Weyland-Tyrell Corporation? Is that cool?" And we're like, "Dude, that's really cool. You gotta do it!". Here's a few screenshots he sent from the video:
The information comes from concept artist Ben Proctor, who is talking in the "Merging Ridleyverses" featurette. He continues with more on Ridley's ideas: "Maybe the bodyguards, you know, that come out with Weyland, maybe one of them says Batty on his uniform. And we're like "Awesome! Do it, do it!". And it didn't end up making it but I thought that was a really cool thing that there is such a compatibility between the sort of, you know, dystopian future of Blade Runner and Alien that they may as well be the same universe. And if we're doing a Weyland versus a Weyland-Yutani, why not have corporate mergers shifting and make some kind of a connection there. I thought that was cool." What do you make of all these details?
77 Comments
1
Worth pointing out that on the 3D Blu-Ray"Supplementary Pods" - there's a little featurette called "Merging Ridleyverses", where it is stated that at one point during the development of the film, Weyland Corp would have been merged with the Tyrell Corporation. Another small bit of info was that Roy Batty may have been an extra security guard for Peter Weyland while on the Prometheus mission - but only identifiable by his name written on his uniform.
Stephen Staunton on Oct 6, 2012
2
Wow...I really love this idea...cant think of a better merging than this one...
wylles on Oct 6, 2012
3
this is all getting too confusing for me. I'm trying to keep up on all these tie-ins and how people are related to other people, and what corporations are responsible for what.... my mind is about to explode!!!
Race Bannon on Oct 6, 2012
5
Great. Not only did Prometheus ruin Alien,now it's going to ruin Blade Runner. I get it.The Avengers was a great hit.But can we please not try to mash up every fucking movie into same movie-verse.The whole shared reality gimmick barely works in the comics.Just look at how it messed up most of the classics. We might end up with Transformers sharing the same universe as I don't know Kubricks The Shining.
boooo on Oct 6, 2012
6
Seems like the last "total Recall" was a good set up for a blade runner tie in. The city scape was almost a reboot.
Case on Oct 7, 2012
7
And how exactly did Prometheus ruin Alien? Alien is still there, it's still the exact same movie. If you don't like the humanoid space jockeys and other things from Prometheus then just ignore it.
ApesMa on Oct 7, 2012
8
The context matters.If you completelly ignore Prometheus ,Alien is fine. But... Prometheus ruins Alien by explaining xenomorphs.By tying them to humanity.They should have stayed this mysterious threat from the unknown darkness of space and not some plot point from "religious" mythology i.e. they are here to punish us for killing space Jesus.
erhm.. on Oct 7, 2012
9
It still doesn't ruin Alien just like AvP didn't ruin Alien, because the original movie is the same it's always been. The space Jesus thing isn't in the movie. It was in an early version of the script. You should see all the stupid shit in the original Alien script.
ApesMa on Oct 7, 2012
10
AvP did not ruin Alien because it's from a different director and because It is not canon.Nobody takes it seriously.Nobody who saw the original movies when they came out.It's more in the tradition of camp and fun mash-up movies like Jason vs Freddie than serious SF.Prometheus is canon.And what they did with the canon in Prometheus sours Alien.IMHO. AvP movies are derived from a jokethe props guys made in Predator 2 with the alien skull on predator ship.Also videogames and comics.There the concept works.As a movie not so much.
dededdewwd on Oct 7, 2012
11
There IS no actual canon, you're free to ignore any movie you want to. I ignore Alien Resurrection because I hated it. The Godfather III was directed by Coppola and starred Pacino, Keaton, etc, but I didn't like it so I just didn't watch it again, and now it's just a distant memory. Parts I and II are as brilliant as ever. The whole thing about movies being retroactively ruined by new installments is silly and hyperbolic.
ApesMa on Oct 7, 2012
12
+1
Dillinger23 on Oct 8, 2012
13
How would this work? It seems barely anyone knows or credits the fact that Blade Runner isn't an idea that was created for a film; it was based off of the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. And if anyone knows the long hellish process it took for Philip K Dick to give his okay for them to finally make the movie, after a few times of script rewrites, and changes overall. I feel like Dick would be rolling in his grave at this. With how picky he was when BR was being made, I highly doubt he'd let something that he didn't create be thrown together with something he did - even if BR is "loosely" based off of his novel.
Kelsey on Oct 6, 2012
14
Why doesn't he just say everything he directed are in the same Ridley-verse? As ridiculous as that sounds I really hope Ridley is just incorporating for future plot purposes other from that I'm not interested anymore in this abomination if it is true that the two movies are tied in. The author of the book that created Blade Runner must be rolling in his grave. I personally think it's an insult. That's like Peter Jackson saying the Lord Of The Rings movies are tied to his silly zombie movie from the 70s.
BinaryChaos on Oct 6, 2012
15
"That's like Peter Jackson saying the Lord Of The Rings movies are tied to his silly zombie movie from the 70s." Umm... which movies are you talking about here? Peter Jackson hasn't done any zombie movie from the 70s. Perhaps you're thinking of Bad Taste done in '87?
syntaxterror on Oct 6, 2012
16
Good call I meant that movie "Dead Alive" done in '92 I don't know why I keep thinking of the 70s
BinaryChaos on Oct 6, 2012
17
'87 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092610/ it just was rereleased as Dead Alive in '92
syntaxterror on Oct 7, 2012
18
Um, no. Bad Taste and Dead-Alive are two completely separate movies.
nightgoat72 on Oct 7, 2012
19
oopsy! Got Brain Dead and Bad Taste mixed up... my bad. I haven't even seen Bad Taste which I will now attempt to correct. Forgive me 😀
syntaxterror on Oct 8, 2012
20
Actually, the Sumatran rat-monkey from "Dead Alive" is caught on Skull Island, which is the same island as King Kong. So Peter Jackson DID tie his universes together!
robross0606 on Oct 7, 2012
21
Are you a troll? Did Peter Jackson state that Dead Alive is within the universe of King Kong? Sorry but I rather hear it from the horses mouth. There are a lot of movies that call islands "Skull Island" and have no ties to king kong. Seriously stop being a troll.
BinaryChaos on Oct 7, 2012
22
Jackson has stated that King Kong was one of his favorites growing up so that is probably why he chose the same name for the island.
TheMAXX on Oct 7, 2012
23
please name ANY other film that uses Skull Island NOT as an overt reference to King Kong you trolling muppet?
Dillinger23 on Oct 8, 2012
24
Get a life and do some research yourself you aren't in any position to make requests.
BinaryChaos on Oct 8, 2012
25
yeah, thats what i thought. you cannot present a single example of Skull Island being used that IS NOT a direct homage or reference to King Kong. This is because you think without speaking, and write without reflecting.
Dillinger23 on Oct 8, 2012
26
Thats because I don't cater to trolls like you. Show some respect and someone might cater to your needs.
BinaryChaos on Oct 8, 2012
27
if I wanted catering, I'd got to a deli. You are simply lacking the character and integrity to admit posting an erroneous comment. Its no big deal my friend. I make mistakes, we all make mistakes, but you seem to lack the character to admit having made one at this time. Your comment simply does not bear up to even cursory analysis.
Dillinger23 on Oct 8, 2012
28
Well that's good cause it's their job to cater to you cause you are paying for the meal. Seriously, you are troll and go find someone else to troll since you are having a bad day. There is no pleasing anyone like you all you do is complain and critique and want to come off like you have the better hand so keep talking to yourself until you are done whining cause I'm done replying to you. Move on!
BinaryChaos on Oct 8, 2012
29
still waiting for ONE example of Skull Island being used in a location.
Dillinger23 on Oct 8, 2012
30
it was used in reference in the Monkey Island series : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monkey_Island_%28series%29 (look under Setting)
syntaxterror on Oct 8, 2012
31
And the the winner is......syntax terror with his one legitimate post in the midst of 2 keyboard warriors *claps*
Cody W on Oct 8, 2012
32
Ole Ridley needs to retire before he ruins more of his classics...prometheus was terrible.
Cody W on Oct 6, 2012
33
Agreed. Its a dead horse by now but viewing P again now just made it even more obvious how bad the movie is. "I like rocks, no i LOVE rocks.....". Damon Lindelof, fuck you. What a piece of fucking shit that makes money by writing such crap. And yes, please leave BR alone. Dont need a sequel. P reminds of the SW prequels. or indy 4. They are there but to me, i choose to ignore their existence. Nothing much else one can do....
Buzzfunk on Oct 7, 2012
34
It's a great movie with shitty dialogue.
ApesMa on Oct 7, 2012
35
It's a movie with great visuals.Everything else is mediocre or just plain sucks.Apart from incredible Fassbender.
erhm.. on Oct 7, 2012
36
Exactly, the SFX and Fassbenders performance were the only thing otherwise none of it made sense.
Cody W on Oct 7, 2012
37
Careful with that "none of it made sense" stuff. You'll leave yourself open to people saying you didn't understand the story ( theres a lot of people using that to defend prometheus). All the scientists were idiots, whats not to understand?
Richie G on Oct 7, 2012
38
Yeah well if they do that I can direct them to redlettermedias take on prometheus.
Cody W on Oct 7, 2012
39
Oh yeah, the prometheus fan boys. Well if someone loved it, then great for them. I think just like you said, it wasn't that the 'big' questions were the problem, the problem was the illogical narrative of the movie and yes, the idiots aka scientists. "I like rocks, no i LOVE rocks..." Ridley scott has lost a lot of credibility in my book with this crap. Really not looking forward to BR2.
Buzzfunk on Oct 7, 2012
40
Exactly. Visually it's indeed good. But it just shows that when you have a shit scripted and terrible casting, the fx alone wont save you
buzzfunk on Oct 7, 2012
41
While I'm not amongst them, a lot of people would say the same thing about Blade Runner
wutangclanaintnuttintafuckwit on Oct 10, 2012
42
Its by far not a great movie...
Buzzfunk on Oct 7, 2012
43
The scientists in prometheus did stupid things because they had super space jetlag
Richie G on Oct 7, 2012
44
Thats a little unfair. Ridley's direction is still great. The script let prometheus down. Ridley just needs someone who knows what audiences want these days and Lindelof isn't that guy
Richie G on Oct 7, 2012
45
No no no. Its totally fair. If the man can direct a scene in which a chick gets her stomach cut open and then another scene where she is running from aliens because she has those "futuristic" drugs some 10 minutes later then some fault has to be put on him, though Lindelof is mainly at fault I agree.
Cody W on Oct 7, 2012
46
I will agree with you on those scenes , Cody . Nobody can get their stomach muscles cut and then go running ang jumping 10 mins later . However , everybody else's complaints just seem like whining . Scientists were stupid ; yes but look at every other movie in the " family " - a lot of SOMEBODIES are totally stupid . just take it as a device to know who's gonna be dying - the stupid ones . BOOOO there ARE comics where the mash-ups work , so just because some don't doesn't invalidate trying . Really people , IT"S ONLY A MOVIE ! Take off your analyst glasses and just try enjoying whatever comes at you , with no preconceptions from the last movie or someone else's take . You don't need everything spelled out for you and an entertaining movie can have some horrible acting , and survive ...
Brian on Oct 7, 2012
47
No Im sorry, but ridiculous decisions from the characters, constant plot holes and just overall nonsense I can take every once and a while in a film for the sake of entertainment...but when its just constantly from start to end that is the definition of a piece of shit movie. http://www.thatvideosite.com/v/5496
Cody W on Oct 7, 2012
48
Deconstruct : ( cause u miss my point ) if the two scientists aren't so stupid that they DON"t run as soon as the tentacle comes out the pool no scene there . If the head scientist doesn't accept a drink from David no freakout from him . If they don't launch the ship the hell out of there as soon as the zombie comes back to destroy them , no movie . If the premise isn't " they'll tell me how to live forever " , no movie . If they don't even make the decision to go - especially stupidly with no military back-up - NO MOVIE . Criticize the overall plot but not the obvious parts they HAVE to put in . If u criticize this , u might as well go back to ALIEN , and say it was stupid not ONLY to go into this strange ship , but ALSO to bring that guy back aboard ! you might as well criticize ALL horror movies cause somebody always stupidly " opens that door " . Jeeezz understand ur genres before u sound off . Y gonna Criticize " Pandora's Box " too ?
Dominic A on Oct 9, 2012
49
It's still a bad movie.
contrarian on Oct 9, 2012
50
I think it's kind of sacrilegious to play around with Blade Runner more than he has - simply because it's not an original idea. It was based on Philip K. Dick's short story.
Jim on Oct 6, 2012
51
but he has appraised him multiple times before he did Alien so its always been possible he had this planned from the beginning.....
Jericho on Oct 6, 2012
52
And look at what Peter Jackson is doing with J.R.R Tolkien's stories, it was never his idea but he's still constantly changing elements of the original story to adapt for his film vision same goes for Ridley Scott. I don't see anyone complaining about what Jackson is doing so far also.
JerseyBoy on Oct 6, 2012
53
I have been complaining about the hack job PJ did to LotR and will be doing to the Hobbit since I the credits rolled on Fellowship.
Brian Sleider on Oct 6, 2012
55
thought I'd pipe in and correct you - it wasn't a short story but a full fledged novel called Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. Pick it up and read it you tourist 😛 Read the book then watch Blade Runner again and you'll notice how similar they both aren't. Ridley Scott has created his own universe and original interpretation of the novel and should be able to do whatever he wants with it in my humble opinion.
syntaxterror on Oct 6, 2012
56
I do not relish the thought of a "Blade Runner" sequel. Except for one movie, "Scanner Darkly" all of Dicks works that have made it to the big screen have utterly destroyed the source material. "Blade Runner" while a great film on it own departs in very extreme ways from the book "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" and there is no room for a sequel in it save for studios to cash grab off of reused ideas. I have said it before and I will say it again here. I wish Hollywood would take more chances with new and original ideas instead of going for the quick buck of remake, adaptation, sequel, prequelitus.
Brian Sleider on Oct 6, 2012
57
I don't know about you guys, but this sounds fucking awesome to me. The classics are still there, they're not going to be messed up by these sequels (or whatever they are). Plus, it's Ridley Scott pulling the strings. Oh, and I loved Prometheus (although I've seen it only once), so maybe that's why this doesn't feel wrong at all.
Isildur_of_Numenor on Oct 7, 2012
59
I sort of liked the Blade Runner world on it's own. But these constant tie-ins are getting into George Lucas territory.
Carpola on Oct 7, 2012
60
Too many trolls on the dance floor. I personally love Ridley Scott and the tie in sounds very interesting!
Josh on Oct 7, 2012
61
Sure ,everybody who disagrees with you or expresses their dislike of the things you happen to like is a troll.
Rediels Nairb on Oct 8, 2012
62
Screaming "Troll !" is too easy. Easier than paying attention to what the other side is saying.
contrarian on Oct 9, 2012
63
Those saying that Phillip K Dick is rolling in his grave because he was opposed to Blade Runner being based from Do androids dream of electric sheep, know that he was invited to the set and became friends with Ridley Scott when he saw the director was putting his heart and soul into the movie. I read that years ago. Theres even a photograph of both where it shows Phillip K Dick smiling with Scott. Then on the Blade Runner briefcase boxed set on the Dangerous days dvd that is a documentary on the whole making of BR it says that after seeing an edited preview of the film with the sp/fx and everything, Dick couldnt believe they brought his vision to life and even asked them to screen it again for him. So stop complaining. Im all for a link between both universes. Its Ridley Scott's vision which is far more interesting than all the dissapointing shit from other franchises thats out there. Yes, Im a fan.
Emilio Pereira. on Oct 7, 2012
64
You win this round.
Bobo_Vision on Oct 7, 2012
65
Im a fan aswell. This is great news, I believe in ridley. Just wish he had smarter fans. He deserves them.
simore, youdont on Oct 13, 2012
66
No one said that he was opposed to it being made into a film.
Jane Doe on Oct 13, 2012
67
All these viral gimmicks and tie-ins are cheap, redundant, forced and "artificial" - like this one - and are becoming increasingly pointless and irrelevant. So sad to see a master like Ridley Scott losing his touch and respectability for dirty money.
Alex C. on Oct 7, 2012
68
It turns out that ridley isn't so much the "master" that we thought he was. He made 2 great films 30 years ago, and an unfortunate library of dull mediocrity afterwards. That doesn't really qualify as mastery IMO.
robthom on Oct 12, 2012
69
Even more sad to see he is surrounded by a simpleton fanbase. Maybe in thirty years you'll see your opinion for what it is: shortsightedness. Your not alone though. Ebert has already apologized...
simore, youdont on Oct 13, 2012
70
Not to turn this into a P hack fest ( I know its like beating a dead horse) but after viewing the movie again in the hopes that it has some redeeming qualities to it (aside from the visuals), whats really more obvious how all the acting is mindblowingly bad except Fassbender and Iris Alba. That Charlie actor is just some of the worst shit ive ever seen. And personally, I think Noomi R is vastly overrated. I really disliked her in this movie...
Buzzfunk on Oct 7, 2012
71
The problem is Blade runner was based in 2019, as you said. Surprised, with all the rereleases, that they didn't push that date back
Richie G on Oct 7, 2012
72
shit shit SHIT idea. What is this, the bloody Marvel universe with superhero cross-overs? This cheapens both stories and is just plain silly.
Dillinger23 on Oct 8, 2012
73
Thanks for reminding me how much I hated Prometheus.
castingcouch on Oct 8, 2012
74
Wow. A universe crossover. How cute. Weyland's next journal entry is even better: "Every now and then I'll get a message from my dear friend John, passing the time on his rocky red world playing Quidditch with Kuato and Benjamin Bratt. And he asks me...do I miss it? Do I miss New Capricorn? Do I miss those days when it was just we two aboard the Falcon, soaring over the Dead Marshes, watching the great sand worms breach and dive, Vulcan looming in the sky like a terracotta and turquoise jewel? Stopping by Narnia to beam up Lex and Otis? Otis...how his sodimization saddened me. And how delighted I was to learn that Federal Marshal O'Niel flew all the way from Io to hunt the perpetrator down and crush his steely bones in a hydraulic press in an OCP R&D lab aboard Discovery One. Sigh. Such a pity Bond never did acquire for me the recipe for the Everlasting Gobstopper."
L. Paunch on Oct 10, 2012
75
This is great news! Prometheus was another masterpiece. The people bickering about silly plot-holes and bad acting need to wake up. A biologist who took a mission that has him sleep for over 2 years and bring him to an alien planet that WOULDNT be curious of the biology in said alien planet would make for a glaring plot hole. The scene made sense and was great. And to really call your bluff, yes, in a universe where machines can do operations, humans can terraform planets, and fly to other galaxies...yes, I am willing to believe we have drugs that speed up healing and negate enough pain to run for ones life!(if you are going to call this silly, be honest with yourself and call all scifi silly) Worse was said about Alien and Bladerunner in their time. It takes a rare person with impeccable taste to enjoy a timeless masterpiece IN its time. Im glad to be in that number. Let this be a lesson to you 'eberts' out there that gave blade runner a thumbs down only to recant his opinion and apologize later: Prometheus was a masterpiece and so will be paradise and BR2.
simore, youdont on Oct 13, 2012
76
Stupid, stupid, stupid. It doesn't need to be directly connected. It's the most unimaginative thing they could do at this point. Sure, the few connections (in fact I can only think of one in Blade Runner and if it is more than a nod to Alien, it's nothing much more than a nod, and it should stay that way) between Alien and Blade Runner are fun, but that's no excuse for cementing them together definitively just because the people behind it can't think of anything else to do with it.
Meester Smeeth on Nov 11, 2012
77
At the end of the day concentrate on a good film before getting excited about tying up your universes. Screenplay is God not 2d character's a stunning visuals.
Charles Smith on Apr 24, 2013
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