Over the years, there have been several different interpretations of DC’s Batman. 

While in Tim Burton’s Batman movies, the character was portrayed as dark and brooding, in Matt Reeves’ The Batman, this dark and brooding characteristic took a whole new meaning. 

Christopher Nolan, however, had a different take on the Dark Knight.

Taking a more realistic and gritty approach, Nolan based each of his Batman movies on popular tropes and themes. 

But when it came to visuals, his trilogy was inspired by Harrison Ford’s failed $39 million movie.

Harrison Ford’s Blade Runner Inspired Christopher Nolan’s Batman Movies

An adaptation of the book Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Harrison Ford‘s 1982 movie Blade Runner was a critical success but a commercial failure. Grossing just $39 million across the world (via The Numbers), the film was nonetheless a masterclass in visuals and neo-noir cinema. Now, having influenced several movies, series, and even video games, the film was also an inspiration for the acclaimed Christian Bale‘s Batman trilogy.

Inspired by the movie’s style of filming and its visuals, Nolan reportedly held a screening of the film before the production of Batman Begins started and declared— This is how we’re going to make Batman (via All The Right Movies). One look at both movies, and one can find several similarities between the two, hinting that Nolan might even be paying homage to Ridley Scott’s now cult classic film.

However, in an interview with Forbes, the Oscar-winning director stated,

It’s hard to say what was conscious homage, and what was my analysis of why Blade Runner was so convincing in its production design and in the way it uses its sets.

One of the most celebrated films in terms of style and visuals, it’s no wonder that a director like Nolan—renowned for his stunning cinematic visuals—would naturally gravitate towards the Harrison Ford movie. Nolan’s Batman trilogy, widely regarded as one of the best interpretations of the superhero genre, thus, stands as a testament to the enduring influence of Blade Runner.

Christopher Nolan Constructed Gotham Streets Based on Blade Runner

Christopher Nolan, whether intentionally or unintentionally, heavily used Ridley Scott‘s movie as an inspiration during Batman Begins. But the relationship between Blade Runner and Nolan’s Batman trilogy does not end there, for Nolan used the film as an inspiration to shoot his next two Batman movies as well.

During the production of The Dark Knight, while constructing the streets of Gotham, the director revealed he used the visual treatment of Scott to shoot and construct the set. In his interview with Forbes, Nolan revealed,

On Batman Begins, unlike The Dark Knight, we found ourselves having to build the streets of Gotham in large part. So I immediately gravitated toward the visual treatment that Ridley Scott had come up with, in terms of how you shoot these massive sets to make them feel real and not like impressive sets. 

Trying to emulate the style, Nolan declares that the use of rain in several shots of his Batman movie might even have been a subtle unintentional homage to Harrison Ford’s box office bomb.

Blade Runner’s influence is further evident in the meticulous attention to detail in the set design, the atmospheric lighting, and the overall mood of the Batman trilogy. Thus, proving that the success of a film is not just measured in box office numbers but its timeless appeal and profound influence on shaping one of the most iconic films in the film industry.

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Source: Tampa Bay Times