Ridley Scott's 'Blade Runner' opened in theaters across the United States on this day in 1982. Producer Alan Ladd Jr. chose the date because his previous highest-grossing films: 'Star Wars' (1977) and 'Alien' (1979) had both opened on a similar date (May 25th).

The date was close to the release of other major science fiction and fantasy films such as 'The Thing', 'Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan', 'Conan the Barbarian' and 'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial' which impacted on the performance of 'Blade Runner' at the box office.

Despite not being an instant hit, the movie grew in popularity over the years and is now considered to be one of the greatest science fiction films ever made.