Some fans believe that cult classic Event Horizon is a Warhammer 40k prequel, but is there anything to back that up? After directing Mortal Kombat, director Paul W.S. Anderson turned down other high-profile gigs like Alien: Resurrection to focus on Event Horizon instead. This followed a rescue crew who recover an experimental spaceship that vanished years before, and find it has - quite literally - been to Hell and back. The movie was put together under a tight production schedule and was both a critical and commercial failure upon release in 1997.

Event Horizon was quickly rediscovered on VHS and DVD, with the film's haunting visuals, beautiful production design and terrifying scenes - such as the infamous "blood orgy" video - ensuring it found a loving audience. It's also well-known that Anderson had to trim even more graphic footage from the movie following test screenings, which reportedly even saw an audience member faint. Sadly, it appears this deleted footage has been lost to time, and an uncut version of Event Horizon is unlikely to emerge.

Related: Why Event Horizon Is Underrated (& Why It Bombed At The Box Office)

The Event Horizon spaceship itself is powered by a gravity drive that can fold spacetime, making it possible to travel from one side of the universe to another. Sadly for the original crew, they ended up in a hellish alternate dimension where they mutilate and murder one another. This dimension is never shown in Event Horizon - which also has some Hellraiser similarities - but the description of this "chaos" filled void has led to a convincing fan theory the film is a secret Warhammer 40k prequel.

Event Horizon's Crew May Have Visited 40k's "Chaos" Dimension

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Warhammer 40k is a tabletop wargame set in the distant future where humanity is in constant battle with various alien and supernatural factions. The extensive lore of the universe makes it near impossible to explain concisely, but in relation to Event Horizon, it appears the crew of the ship may have entered into "The Warp," also known as "The Immaterium." This is an alternate dimension made up of psychic energy and is also home to the so-called Chaos Gods and other daemonic beings. Ships can travel through the Warp, but to protect themselves from the dark forces found there, they need to engage a Gellar Field to keep the crews safe from the madness outside.

The Event Horizon/Warhammer 40k prequel theory posits that the Event Horizon's - which has a cool Sam Neill easter egg - crew marked humanity's first time traveling through the Immaterium, and its gravity drive later led to the creation of 40k's Warp-Drive. The crew was exposed to the chaotic energy of this dimension, which drove them to acts of violence and murder, and when the Event Horizon returned it brought an entity - possibly a Daemon of Chaos - back with it that attacks the rescue crew, causing hallucinations that prey on their fears.

Neill's Dr. Weir later becomes possessed by the evil presence on the ship, ripping out his eyes and describing the alternate dimension as one of "pure chaos." From the movie's gothic design to the many similarities between the two properties, the theory linking Event Horizon - which is getting a TV series - and Warhammer 40k together is a persuasive one. The pieces line up nicely and if nothing else, it's a fun theory to explore. Event Horizon screenwriter Philip Eisner also answered a fan query about Warhammer 40k on Twitter in 2017, and stated "I played the s*** out of 40K, so it was definitely an influence, conscious or otherwise."

Next: Event Horizon's Two Alternate Endings Explained (& Why They Weren't Used)