Blade Runner: the franchise

[Steve Roby]

I've often heard that the 1998 Kurt Russell film Soldier is meant to take place in the Blade Runner universe; they have screenwriter David Peoples in common, and there are some Easter egg references to BR backstory elements. I don't think I ever saw it, though, and apparently it has a poor reputation.

I saw it once, decades ago. As I recall, Peoples threw in a reference or two, with the idea that the main character has been at one or two of the battles Roy Batty refers to. It wasn't a classic movie, more what you'd have rented at Blockbuster if you got there late and all the good stuff was already rented. Which is probably how I saw it.

Alien wasn't created by Ridley Scott?
I know Blade Runner was based on the Phillip K. Dick book, but he does seem to be the one in controlling the movies.

Dan O'Bannon wrote Alien from a story developed by O'Bannon and Ronald Shusett.

 

[JD]

Oh, I had assumed it was at least Scott's concept.
EDIT: Just looked it up on Wikipedia and I see now that the concept already existed long before Scott got involved.

 

[Christopher]

Oh, I had assumed it was at least Scott's concept.

Alien actually came about because Dan O'Bannon decided he wanted to do a serious version of his micro-budget sci-fi comedy Dark Star. Ridley Scott was at least the seventh director considered for the film. It was only his second feature film, after The Duellists.

Alien (film) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[JD]

Yeah, I guess you didn't see my edit I added. After I first posted I looked it up on Wikipedia and read through the early development section.

 

[Set Harth]

Wait, the ending of Dark Star wasn't meant to be serious?

 

[FredH]

I've often heard that the 1998 Kurt Russell film Soldier is meant to take place in the Blade Runner universe; they have screenwriter David Peoples in common, and there are some Easter egg references to BR backstory elements. I don't think I ever saw it, though, and apparently it has a poor reputation.

It’s a terrible fairly-standard 90s action movie, although Russell’s performance is excellent.

 

[Tosk]

Soldier has one distinction, it's from the "upper half" of Paul W.S. Anderson's filmography. It may not be amazing, but it's easily watchable.

 

[Mage]

I've often heard that the 1998 Kurt Russell film Soldier is meant to take place in the Blade Runner universe; they have screenwriter David Peoples in common, and there are some Easter egg references to BR backstory elements. I don't think I ever saw it, though, and apparently it has a poor reputation.

It's.....underrated. By no means amazing, and certainly not a top 5 Kurt Russell movie. But considering the director, it's actually not bad. I'd say, if you find it for free to stream or for a few bucks in a dvd bin, give it a shot.

 

[Christopher]

Soldier has one distinction, it's from the "upper half" of Paul W.S. Anderson's filmography. It may not be amazing, but it's easily watchable.

I also note from its credits that it was the first time Kurt Russell and his son Wyatt played the same character at two different ages, as they recently did again in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.

Pretty sure the only Anderson films I've seen are Event Horizon, which I found moderately good, and Alien vs. Predator, of which I have no significant memories.