The last decade has been a whirlwind when it comes to the cinematic landscape. Blockbuster movies have never been bigger, and much of the financial success can be attributed to the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s foray into unexplored — or should we say, less explored — territory of interconnected storytelling. Prior to the superhero mega-franchise, shared universes weren’t necessarily a staple of films. The idea of sequels, or continuing stories taking place in the same world without immediately picking up after the first film, was rare before the MCU brought the idea into the limelight. That said, crossovers weren’t unheard of in film and TV, with small hints and Easter eggs being sprinkled into some of our favorite movies (sometimes without us knowing at first).
Before Hollywood became all about crossovers and building cinematic universes, there were a number of these hints that die-hard fans and eagle-eyed moviegoers would be able to recognize. Here are 20 movies you probably didn’t know were in the same universe:
20 Machete (2010) / Spy Kids (2001)
Probably the most well-known yet somehow mind-boggling movie crossover, Robert Rodriguez’s Spy Kids franchise exists in the same universe as his bloody exploitation Machete action films. How? He’s Uncle Machete to the Cortez siblings, of course!
In true Robert Rodriguez movie fashion, he manages to not only cross over characters across two entirely separate genres, but the target audiences for both franchises could not be further apart. While Spy Kids and Machete share the same super-weird B-movie DNA, the latter’s hypersexual ultra-violence seems a little out of place, considering the eponymous lead’s place in the Cortez family.
19 Jackie Brown (1997) / Out of Sight (1998)
Jackie Brown is one of Quentin Tarantino’s classic crime films that pays homage to Blaxploitation cinema of the past, like Foxy Brown, which also starred Pam Grier in the lead. In Jackie Brown, the eponymous character is a stewardess who smuggles money across the Mexico/U.S. border for a dangerous gun runner, when the police get involved. ATF agent Ray Nicolette, played by Michael Keaton, is hot on her tail and makes it out of the film alive. In the 1998 film Out of Sight, Keaton reprises his role as Nicolette in the crime-comedy, albeit in a minor capacity, quietly tying the two films together in a sneaky little thread.
18 View Askewniverse (1994-2022) / Scream 3 (2000)
For those unfamiliar with the View Askewniverse, it is Kevin Smith’s fictional universe within which most of his original films take place. Millennials and Gen X’ers may be more familiar with the films in this universe, like Clerks, Mallrats, and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. The films, here, are fairly self-referential, with recurring characters often appearing in other entries, the most famous of which are Jay and Silent Bob, who appear in almost every single entry of this universe.
Considering this prerequisite, their appearance in Wes Craven’s threequel, Scream 3, begs the question: are Jay and Silent Bob fans of Sidney Prescott? The duo can be seen entering a set for the fictional Scream meta film, “Stab,” behind David Arqutte’s Dewey, among a crowd of people.
17 Back to the Future Part III (1990) / Django Unchained (2012) / A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014)
Seeing these three titles together, viewers will have probably pieced together the similarities between them. But outside of being three diametrically different western films, they also share a fair bit of connective tissue that you will only notice after watching A Million Ways to Die in the West. Seth McFarlane’s hyper-meta, potty-mouthed screwball comedy features a multitude of absurd gags that can only be classified as “slapstick for adults.”
But perhaps the craziest cameos would have to be from Doc Brown, who is seen quickly covering the iconic DeLorean from Back to the Future Part III and Jamie Foxx’s titular character from Django Unchained killing the owner of a racist carnival. Both actors seem to be delightfully reprising their iconic roles, and ultimately creating the most uneven triple-feature known to man.
16 Transformers (2007) / Friday the 13th (2009)
Transformers (2007) is a movie about giant robots who come to Earth in search of an ancient power source, but end up finding a world of government conspiracy, an old enemy, and a home worth fighting for. 2009’s Friday the 13th is about a group of teens who are murdered one by one at a summer camp by horror icon Jason Voorheese. Still not seeing the connection?
In Transformers, Shia Labeouf’s Sam Witwicky meets Megan Fox’s Mikaela Banes on the same day she breaks up with her boyfriend, Trent DeMarco. Two years later, Jason Voorheese kills one of the most uncomfortably rich-kid-jock characters in the franchise’s history, played by the same actor. His name? Trent DeMarco. This insignificant character gets his just-desserts in both films, strangely tying the two franchises together in the most unexpected ways.
15 Trading Places (1983) / Coming to America (1988)
1988’s Coming to America is an American classic comedy in every way: a charismatic and attractive cast, memorable dialogues, and a sequel that takes place 30 years later. Trading Places is a 1983 comedy, also featuring Eddie Murphy, that opened to generally favorable reviews, but has somewhat lost its relevance to the decades gone by. Both films were directed by controversial Hollywood figure, John Landis, and that’s where the similarities end, right?
Wrong! Both films actually take place in the very same universe, thanks to the characters of Randolph and Mortimer Duke crossing over. Initially the very reason for the plot of Trading Places taking off, they also appear — now homeless — in Coming to America. Their cameo is brief but memorable, with Murphy’s Prince Akeem handing them a large sum of money so that they can get back on their feet.
14 American Psycho (2000) / The Rules of Attraction (2002)
Surprisingly, the link between American Psycho and The Rules of Attraction has to do with their source material as opposed to a narrative crossover like most of the other entries on this list. Both American Psycho and The Rules of Attraction are satirical novels written by the same author, Bret Easton Ellis, featuring lead characters Patrick Bateman and Sean Bateman. Indeed, both Bateman boys are canonically brothers! What’s cool is, despite both films having virtually nothing to do with each other, casting Christian Bale and James Van Der Beek as brothers seems like an inspired choice that must have crossed the mind of the casting director for The Rules of Attraction.
13 Wayne’s World (1992) / Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
’90s kids will remember this one the best. Back in an era when cameos and pop-culture references in comedies were definitely getting bigger, leave it to Wayne’s World to drop one of the most unexpected cameos in any franchise’s history. In the film, Mike Myers’ Wayne is speeding through traffic when he is stopped by a police officer. Initially afraid he’s been caught for reckless driving, he is stunned when the officer, played by the iconic Robert Patrick, pulls out a photo of John Connor from Terminator 2: Judgment Day and inquires if he’s been seen anywhere in the premises. Patrick, who played the T-1000 in Terminator 2, reprised his role for this short cameo, perfectly in-line with the meta-humor sprinkled throughout all of Wayne’s World.
12 Blade Runner (1982) / Soldier (1998) / Alien (1979)
Everybody knows about Blade Runner. Even people who don’t know Blade Runner know it because of the singular visual style it established for portraying a dystopian future, thanks to pioneer Syd Mead’s involvement in crafting this sci-fi classic. Of course, with all of Blade Runner‘s place in the zeitgeist, and its critically acclaimed sequel almost 30 years later, what fans may not know is that the film had a “side-quel” with Kurt Russel called Soldier.
What’s more, this 1988 sci-fi action film has a number of references to both the Blade Runner and Alien universes, most evidently with Russell’s Todd walking past a defunct Spinner, which can be seen as a bit of set dressing when he finds a colony of refugees. In the 1999 DVD special features, a ship’s log can also be accessed, wherein there are references to the Blade Runner and Alien mega-corporations, Tyrell Corp and Weyland Yutani, working together in the research of bio-weapons and synthetic lifeforms.
Longtime friends and collaborators, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas are known for their significant work in Hollywood in defining the modern blockbuster and creating iconic franchises and characters that have stood the test of time and remain relevant in the pop culture landscape of today. By the mid-90s, both filmmakers were at the peak of their careers, having put out massive hits like Jurassic Park and the Star Wars original trilogy, which was released and re-released multiple times already.
As an homage to their storied relationship, Lucas placed a cheeky little Easter egg that hinted the Star Wars universe may not be as far, far away as we thought. In 1999’s The Phantom Menace, eagle-eyed viewers noticed members of the alien species seen in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial sitting in on a session in the senate, a sweet homage to Spielberg’s 1982 classic.
10 Ghostbusters (1984) / Casper (1995)
Dan Aykroyd’s career as a ghostbuster both in fiction and reality is well-documented. The man has played the character of Ray Stanz in five separate Ghostbusters projects, including three movie appearances and two video games over a 37-year span. To say that his place seems more natural among the supernatural would be an understatement.
Which is why it comes as no surprise that he put the proton pack back on for a short cameo as the iconic Ghostbuster in 1995’s Casper. When the leads are trying to capture the “Ghostly Trio,” they initially contact Ghostbuster Ray Stantz, who hilariously fumbles and runs out saying, “Who you gonna call? Someone else.”
9 Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) / The Breakfast Club (1985)
John Hughes was the ultimate director of ’80s teen movies. We’d go so far as saying that the idea of the “American High School” in cinema was defined by Hughes’ films, and will continue to echo his style for years to come. What may come to surprise some is that Hughes also placed some small Easter eggs within his films, so they can subtly tie into one another.
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and The Breakfast Club both actually take place in the same high school. Picture this: Ferris and Cameron going to the same classes as John Bender! Despite the connection, unfortunately, none of the cast reprised their roles in either film. The link can only be found in the name of the high school, hidden in different parts of the building.
8 Stree (2018) / Roohi (2021)
This one is for the Bollywood fans. In the last decade or so, Bollywood has quietly launched a number of cinematic universes, and you’d be surprised at how successful they’ve been so far. Whether its Rohit Shetty’s Cop Universe, the YRF Spy Universe or the Astraverse, Bollywood has been silently winning the game Hollywood has been desperate to master. But even Bollywood fans may not be aware of the burgeoning Maddock Supernatural Universe, starting with 2018’s super-successful horror-comedy-satire, Stree.
Roohi, another horror-comedy about a type of Indian witch, hit theaters in 2021, starring Janhvi Kapoor in the eponymous role. The connective tissue between the two films lie in some shared actors. The series has a third film, titled Bhediya, in the works as well.
7 Super (2010) / Brightburn (2019)
Superman fans might have caught the 2019 horror film, Brightburn, that puts a familiar spin on the Big Blue Boy Scout, but really goes the extra mile when it comes to showing the overt violence of an evil super-powered child. Of course, producer James Gunn — who, through some karmic way, found his way back to the character of Superman — is no stranger to extreme violence in his films, so fans knew what to expect when it came to this super-powered brat.
What fans may not know though, is that Gunn created his own superhero back in 2010 with Super, a dark comedy about a lonely man, who loses his wife to someone, and turns to superhero-ing to save her from his clutches. The film has largely been forgotten in the wake of bigger movies like Kick-Ass, but Rainn Wilson’s Crimson Bolt alter-ego makes a cameo at the end of Brightburn, almost a decade later. He doesn’t do much, but it’s nice to see that he’s still out there, telling crime to “Shut up.”
6 Fast and Furious (2001-Present) / Better Luck Tomorrow (2002)
For those who may not know, Better Luck Tomorrow is a 2002 crime-drama film about Asian-American overachievers who become bored with their lives and decide to switch to petty crime to spice things up. The film is directed by Justin Lin, whom audiences might better remember as the director of Fast & Furious Tokyo Drift and Furious 7.
What people may not know is that Sung Kang is in all three films, playing the same character. Han Lue / Han Seoul-Oh was initially only part of Better Luck Tomorrow, but thanks to Lin’s involvement in the Fast & Furious franchise, he has become an integral piece of connective tissue, not only between the action film franchise, but also with Lin’s original feature. Han’s popularity is undeniable, as he was originally supposed to be a one-off character, and then was eventually killed, only to be brought back to life in F9.
5 The Color of Money (1986) / The Hustler (1961)
Forget the same universe, these two movies share the same character! Martin Scorcese’s 1986 sports drama film, The Color of Money, pairs sublime filmmaking with perhaps the smartest callback to film history, tying his film to 1961’s The Hustler, about a successful pool player portrayed by Paul Newman. Newman’s Eddie Felson is a confident and successful small-time pool hustler in the ’60s film, who goes from table-to-table making his way to the top where he has a dramatic showdown with legendary pool player Minnesota Fats. T
he Hustler is about greed and loss as much as it is about winning, and Scorsese masterfully plays into “Fast Eddie” Felson’s story by bringing the character back — now retired — as a respectful homage, as well as a passing-the-torch moment with Tom Cruise’s young, and equally charismatic, Vincent on the verge of a mega-sucessful career.
4 The Fugitive (1993) / U.S. Marshals (1998)
One of the more famous unexpected connections in film, 1998’s U.S. Marshals, believe it or not, is actually a sequel to the mega-sucessful 1993 action film The Fugitive. Both films are pretty directly connected via Tommy Lee Jones, who reprises his role as U.S. Deputy Marshal Sam Gerard on the hunt for another fugitive on the loose.
The film also references Harrison Ford’s Dr. Richard Kimble, though he does not appear in the film in any capacity. Both films largely follow the same structure, which is why — despite not sharing a franchise name — most audiences are familiar with the connection beween them.
3 Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011) / 28 Days (2000)
Fans of Alan Tudyk’s early work will probably have made this connection, but if not, let’s explore one of the craziest theories that have been confirmed by the actor himself. In Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Tudyk plays Dutch, a butler and bodyguard to the now-good guy Agent Simmons (John Turturro), albeit barely holding his anger issues in. Though before the audience can shuffle him away as yet another unhinged Michael Bay character archetype, the film has a pivotal moment in a bar that proves there may be more bubbling under the surface.
Completely overstimulated by the rising tensions in the bar, Tudyk’s Dutch pulls out his weapons and has to be talked down. Here, he expresses “that was the old me.” Tudyk has gone on to confirm that he is actually playing the character of Dutch Gerhardt, a rehab patient from the 2000s dramedy 28 Days.
2 John Wick (2014) / Nobody (2021) / Atomic Blonde (2017)
Virtually everyone that watched Bob Odenkirk kick all kinds of ass in 2021’s Nobody recalled how similar the formula was to 2014’s surprise hit, and now action staple, John Wick. But how could it not be? Nobody and John Wick share the same core team of creators, save the directors, which is why both films feel so alike in the way they move. But what’s interesting is that they also share an actor, who also makes an appearance in the Charlize Theron-led action extravaganza Atomic Blonde.
Daniel Bernhardt, acclaimed stuntman and actor, appears in all three films as a goon standing in the way of our heroes’ journeys. In a hilarious twist, all three action heroes must face this foe like some sort of cosmic level-up joke. Despite no official confirmation, fans believe that this could be the very same character as there is little evidence to say otherwise.
1 Quentin Tarantino’s Filmography (1992-Present)
It would take too much time to go over the connective tissue of every single movie in Quentin Tarantino‘s filmography, but we’ll give you a rundown on some of the biggest examples that all the films take place in the same universe (or should we say, universes). Technically, according to Tarantino himself, his films largely take place either in a Realer-Than-Real Universe, while some occur in a fictional movie universe. For example, in Pulp Fiction, Mia talks about being on a TV show called “Fox Force Five” about five female assassins, which is then re-referenced in the Kill Bill films, where the team is a reality.
Films like Kill Bill and From Dusk Till Dawn would occur as fictional films, i.e. the Movie Universe, while Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction take place in the Realer-Than-Real Universe. Some other interesting references are the placement of fictional brands “Red Apple Cigarettes” and “Big Kahuna Burger” that are interspersed as Easter Eggs across the films, creating some connective tissue there. Another link between Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction are the Vega brothers: Michael Madsen’s Vic Vega and John Travolta’s Vincent Vega are related, despite not sharing the screen together.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
