Do These Top Sci-Fi Movie Sagas Share the Same Universe? New Series Sparks Debate!

For over four decades, a lingering mystery has captivated fans, and from the very start of “Alien: Earth,” keen observers have been buzzing. The opening text of the series mentions a “race for immortality” via three technologies: Cyborgs (cybernetic humans), Synths (synthetic beings with AI), and Hybrids (synthetics with human consciousness).

This phrasing eerily echoes the introduction in the “Blade Runner” movies, where the rise of Replicants and their exploitation by the Tyrell Corporation are unveiled.

This resemblance is no coincidence, but Noah Hawley, the creator of the series, prefers to keep the mystery alive. In an interview with Dexerto, he cautiously discusses these similarities.

“If you’re doing Blade Runner, you’ve got the wrong Ridley Scott film”

When asked about the absence of the Tyrell Corporation from the five major firms ruling Earth in his series (Weyland-Yutani, Prodigy, Lynch, Dynamic, and Threshold), Noah Hawley is emphatic: “No. I would tell all our department heads: ‘If you’re doing Blade Runner, you’ve got the wrong Ridley Scott film.’“

However, the creator acknowledges the obvious: “There’s an undeniable aesthetic echo between Blade Runner and Alien. One could easily watch Blade Runner and think, ‘Well, this is what Earth looks like in the movie,’ because there is a lot of humidity in both films.“

Timothy Olyphant, the New Roy Batty?

The similarities don’t stop at aesthetics. Timothy Olyphant, who plays Kirsh in “Alien: Earth,” fully embraces being inspired by Rutger Hauer and his iconic Roy Batty. When asked about this connection, the actor confirms with a smile: “It’s quite true. It was a great look” before adding, cryptically: “But as for a real connection, I have no comment.“

Noah Hawley explains this choice: “I think there is an otherness to this synthetic being that we wanted to play with, and certainly, that look is very iconic.” Yes, the platinum blond hair surely set off a few alarms among fans.

Ridley Scott Confirmed the Connections Long Ago

Beyond aesthetic inspirations, the two universes are indeed connected in the mind of their common creator. Dexerto reminds us that Ridley Scott himself confirmed this lineage in a commentary on Blade Runner: “This world could easily be the city that houses the Alien crew. When the Alien crew returns, they could go into this place and walk into a bar near Deckard’s.“

Even more intriguing, as revealed last year, the bonus features of the DVD Alien: 20th Anniversary Edition disclose that Dallas (Tom Skerritt) had worked for the Tyrell Corporation before joining Weyland-Yutani. This detail confirms the existence of a shared extended universe.

Real Legal Hurdles

But Noah Hawley remains cautious for very pragmatic reasons. “Alien: Earth” now belongs to Disney following the acquisition of Fox (parent company of FX which airs the series in the US), while “Blade Runner” is owned by Alcon, which is currently developing the series “Blade Runner 2099” for Prime Video. Imagining a collaboration between competitors under these circumstances is challenging.

As Gina Balian, the head of FX explains: “Not everything has to fit together in the way one expects with Marvel. Fans don’t expect that in this universe.“

Ultimately, “Alien: Earth” smartly navigates between homage and creative independence. Noah Hawley acknowledges the legacy while freeing himself from it, crafting his own universe filled with deliberate references but never restrictive. This approach allows the series to draw from Ridley Scott’s rich imagination while carving its own path in this expanding universe.