7. Blade Runner’s Showdown & 500 Days Of Summer’s Hopeful Ending
Bradbury Building, Los Angeles, California, USA
1982’s Blade Runner is one of the most iconic sci-fi movies ever made. Its setting of a near-future LA makes use of multiple locations, some of which are all but unrecognizable. One of the key locations in the film’s story is Sebastian’s apartment, where a good deal of action appears. This was shot on location in LA’s Bradbury Building, with the unmistakable architecture getting a dystopian facelift for the film.
Many years later, the Bradbury Building appeared again in a major blockbuster. 500 Days of Summer is a romantic drama following the relationship and eventual break-up of couple Tom and Summer. The film ends with Tom meeting a new woman, aptly named Autumn, in a familiar location. Though it’s not completely obvious, the scene takes place in the Bradbury Building.
Considering its status as a fascinatingly designed piece of LA architecture, it’s hardly surprising that the Bradbury Building would appear in multiple movies. However, the differences between Blade Runner and 500 Days of Summer make it all the harder to spot. When one movie uses the location for an adorable meet-cute and the other for a cop’s showdown with a rogue android, the similarities subtly melt away.