The ‘Barbie’ theory we’ve all been waiting for: Greta Gerwig’s blockbuster leads into ‘Blade Runner 2049’

A new fan theory connecting Barbie and Blade Runner 2049 might sound like a pipe dream, but the more you think about it the more it actually makes sense. 

On the surface, the two films seem like complete opposites. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if the dour Blade Runner 2049 got some kind of box office boost had it released at the same time as Barbie. In a parallel universe, the ironic Barbenheimer trend could have been replaced with “Barbie Runner 2049.” One movie is a bubble gum summer pop extravaganza, and another resembles a nightmarish vision of our near future.

However, things get spooky when you start to think about the connections for a second: both films star Ryan Gosling with character names that start with a “K.” Both are set in Los Angeles and depict the city in a somewhat dystopian manner. What’s more, the replicants in the Blade Runner universe are somewhat reminiscent of the dolls that come to life in Barbie.

These dots were first connected by a Reddit user on the r/FanTheories subreddit in a post that makes a convincing argument for a pretty compelling Barbie sequel, and Blade Runner 2049 prequel.

With Ken being broken hearted at the end of the events of Barbie, when the titular doll decides to leave Barbieland and begin her life as a woman in the real world, Ken went from smiling all the time to always frowning after the events of the film. This explains the unrelenting sour expression on the renamed K’s face throughout the events of Blade Runner 2049, as the post explains.

Of course, the cherry on top of this fan theory is that the evil Tyrell Corporation are the ones who “seized” Barbieland, enslaved its residents, wiped their memories clean, and proceeded to reverse-engineer the seemingly magical dolls to perfect their replicant design. The only real nit pick that I can find in the theory is the simple fact that the original Blade Runner film actually takes place in 2019. This would mean the events of the first Blade Runner movie actually took place before Barbie in the chronology, and that replicants already existed in this world. 

Regardless, I am extremely pumped to see a fan-made “Barbie Runner” follow-up that concretely ties the two universes together and serves as a sequel to Barbie and a threequel to the Blade Runner franchise.