The concept of a shared cinematic universe is now standard practice, with major franchises like Marvel and DC making it explicit. However, certain film universes are connected through more subtle means, such as recurring fictional brands, character cameos, or creator confirmations. This document outlines ten instances where different films are understood to exist within the same narrative world, often without direct confirmation within the films themselves.

1. The Quentin Tarantino Universe

The Connection: Quentin Tarantino has confirmed that his films are divided into two connected universes: the "Realer Than Real World" universe and the "Movie Movie" universe. Characters from the "Realer" universe (e.g., Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Inglourious Basterds) go to watch films from the "Movie Movie" universe (e.g., Kill Bill, From Dusk Till Dawn).

Supporting Evidence:

  • Vic Vega from Reservoir Dogs and Vincent Vega from Pulp Fiction are brothers.
  • Red Apple Cigarettes and Big Kahuna Burger are fictional brands that appear in multiple films across both universes.
  • Donny "The Bear Jew" Donowitz from Inglourious Basterds is the father of movie producer Lee Donowitz from True Romance (which Tarantino wrote).

2. The Pixar Theory

The Connection: A popular and elaborate fan theory posits that every Pixar film exists on a single, continuous timeline. The theory suggests a long-running conflict between humans, animals, and machines, starting with the sentient animals in The Good Dinosaur and ending with the monster-run future of Monsters, Inc.

Supporting Evidence:

  • The Pizza Planet Truck: This truck, first seen in Toy Story, has appeared as an Easter egg in nearly every subsequent Pixar film.
  • A113: This number, a reference to a classroom at the California Institute of the Arts where many Pixar animators studied, appears in all of their films.
  • Character Crossovers: Characters or their likenesses often appear in other films. For example, a carving of Sulley from Monsters, Inc. is visible in the witch's workshop in Brave.

3. The Unbreakable Trilogy (M. Night Shyamalan)

The Connection: What began with the 2000 film Unbreakable was revealed to be the first installment of a trilogy. The 2016 film Split was marketed as a standalone psychological thriller, but its final scene featured Bruce Willis reprising his Unbreakable role as David Dunn, connecting the two narratives. The 2019 film Glass served as the conclusion, bringing together characters from both prior films.

Supporting Evidence: The primary evidence is the post-credit scene in Split and the entirety of the crossover film Glass, which explicitly merges the storylines of David Dunn, Elijah Price, and Kevin Wendell Crumb.

4. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and Star Wars

The Connection: A theory suggests that E.T.'s species is part of the Galactic Republic in the Star Wars universe. This was subtly confirmed through crossover Easter eggs in both franchises.

Supporting Evidence:

  • In E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), E.T. sees a child dressed as Yoda for Halloween and excitedly tries to follow, indicating recognition.
  • In Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999), several aliens of E.T.'s species are visible in the Galactic Senate chamber, officially placing them within the Star Wars galaxy.

5. The View Askewniverse (Kevin Smith)

The Connection: Director Kevin Smith has created an interconnected universe of films set primarily in New Jersey. The continuity is maintained through the recurring presence of the characters Jay and Silent Bob, who appear in nearly all the films.

Supporting Evidence: Films like Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back feature overlapping characters, storylines, and inside jokes. The character of Brodie Bruce from Mallrats, for instance, reappears in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.

6. Blade Runner and Alien

The Connection: This connection is built on subtle corporate branding and was later acknowledged by director Ridley Scott, who directed both the original Alien (1979) and Blade Runner (1982).

Supporting Evidence: A computer screen read-out in Alien mentions "Purge," a ship command also referenced in Blade Runner. Furthermore, a document on the Blu-ray release of Prometheus (a prequel to Alien) is a message from Peter Weyland (of the Weyland-Yutani Corporation) that mentions his mentor, Eldon Tyrell, the creator of the replicants in Blade Runner. This establishes that the Weyland and Tyrell corporations exist in the same timeline.

7. Trading Places and Coming to America

The Connection: Both films were directed by John Landis and feature a direct crossover of characters, confirming they exist in the same world.

Supporting Evidence: In Coming to America (1988), Prince Akeem (Eddie Murphy) gives a large sum of money to two homeless men. These men are Randolph and Mortimer Duke (Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche), the disgraced commodities brokers from Trading Places (1983).

8. The Cloverfield Universe

The Connection: What started with the found-footage monster film Cloverfield (2008) has expanded into an anthology series of loosely connected sci-fi horror films. The subsequent films, 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016) and The Cloverfield Paradox (2018), are not direct sequels but are narratively linked through a shared premise of interdimensional events.

Supporting Evidence: The Cloverfield Paradox explicitly explains that a particle accelerator experiment caused dimensional rifts, which allows for the events of the other two films (a giant monster attack and an alien invasion) to occur in different realities or timelines. The fictional company Tagruato is also a recurring element in the viral marketing for all three films.

9. The Edgar Wright "Cornetto Trilogy"

The Connection: The films Shaun of the Dead (2004), Hot Fuzz (2007), and Paul (2011) do not share a narrative continuity, but they are thematically and spiritually linked. The primary link is the recurring appearance of a Cornetto ice cream cone, with each flavor corresponding to the film's theme.

Supporting Evidence:

  • Strawberry (red) in Shaun of the Dead signifies the film's bloody horror elements.
  • Classic (blue) in Hot Fuzz corresponds to the police theme.
  • Mint Choc-Chip (green) in The World's End (which replaced Paul as the third installment) represents aliens and science fiction.
  • The trilogy also features the same lead actors, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, in different roles.