Xenopedia
Xenopedia
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{{quote|BUILDING BETTER WORLDS.|Company slogan}}
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{{Quote|Building better worlds.|Company slogan}}
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{{Infobox Organization
[[File:Weyland-Yutani_Corp._Logo.gif|thumb|272px|The Weyland-Yutani Corporation logo.]]
 
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|image= Weyland-Yutani Coporation Logo.jpg
The '''Weyland-Yutani Corporation''', often referred to as '''Wey-Yu''' or simply "'''The Company'''",<ref name="A2">{{cite video|people=[[James Cameron]] (writer and director)|title='{{A2}}'|medium=DVD|publisher=[[20th Century Fox]]|date=1986}}</ref><ref name="A3">{{cite video|people=[[Vincent Ward]] (writer) and [[David Fincher]] (director)|title='{{A3}}'|medium=DVD|publisher=[[20th Century Fox]]|date=1992}}</ref> is a large British/Japanese<ref name="Space">{{cite web|title=Strange Shapes - Space, 2122 – 2179|url=http://alienseries.wordpress.com/2012/10/28/space-2122-2179/|accessdate=2013-05-10}}</ref> multinational conglomerate in the [[Alien (franchise)|''Alien'' franchise]], where it plays a pivotal role. It is one of the corporations that operates human colonies outside the solar system through the [[Extrasolar Colonization Administration]],<ref name="A2"/> has a seat in the [[Interstellar Commerce Commission]]'s Company Review Board, and also has a large presence on [[Earth]]. They hold their main offices in Tokyo, London, San Francisco, the Sea of Tranquillity and on [[Thedus]].<ref>''Alien Anthology'' Blu-ray</ref>
 
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|caption= "Building better worlds"
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|name= Weyland-Yutani Corporation
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|headquarters=[[Tokyo]]<br>[[London]]<br>[[San Francisco]]<br>[[Sea of Tranquility]]<br>[[Thedus]]
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|founded by=[[Weyland Corp]]<br>[[Yutani Corporation]]
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|years active=[[2099]]-[[2352]]<br>c. 2381-Unknown
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|territory=
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|ethnicity=[[Human]]
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|activities=Research and development<br>Advanced materials<br>Deep space transport<br>Spacecraft (including starship) construction<br>Vehicle manufacturing (military and commercial)<br>Robotics and Cybernetics<br>Synthetic manufacture<br>Biotechnology<br>[[Terraforming]]<br>[[Offworld Colony|Extrasolar colonization]]<br>Weapons manufacture<br>Military and Law Enforcement equipment<br>{{Xeno}} procurement and research
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|allies=
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|rivals=*[[Seegson]]
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*[[Lasalle Bionational]]
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*[[Chigusa Corporation]]
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*[[Globe Corporation]]
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*[[Jĭngtì Lóng Corporation]]
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*[[Jùtóu Combine]]
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*[[Grant Corporation]]
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*[[Venture Corporation]]
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*[[Z.C.T. Corporation]]
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|subsidiaries =[[Lindenthal-Ehrenfeld Militärindustrie]]<br>[[Lunnar-Welsun Industries]]<br>[[UA Northridge]]<br>[[Sanriku Heavy Industries]]<br>[[National Dynamics]]<br>[[Talbot Engineering Inc.]]<br>}}
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'''Weyland-Yutani Corporation''', often shortened to '''Weyland-Yutani''' and commonly referred to as '''Wey-Yu'''<ref name="ACM">{{cite game|title=[[Aliens: Colonial Marines (2013 video game)|Aliens: Colonial Marines]]|year=[[2013]]|developer=[[Gearbox Software]]|publisher=[[SEGA]]|platform=Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360}}</ref> or simply "'''The Company'''",<ref name="A2">{{cite video|people=[[James Cameron]] (writer and director)|title=[[Aliens (film)|Aliens]]|year=[[1986]]|publisher=[[20th Century Studios|20th Century Fox]]|medium=DVD}}</ref><ref name="A3">{{cite video|people=[[Vincent Ward]] (writer), [[David Fincher]] (director)|title=[[Alien 3|Alien<sup>3</sup>]]|year=[[1992]]|publisher=[[20th Century Studios|20th Century Fox]]|medium=DVD}}</ref> was a large [[United Kingdom|British]]-[[Japan|Japanese]]<ref name="Space">{{cite web|title=Strange Shapes - Space, 2122 – 2179|url=http://alienseries.wordpress.com/2012/10/28/space-2122-2179/|accessdate=2013-05-10}}</ref> multinational conglomerate. It was founded in [[2099]] by the merger of [[Weyland Corp]] and [[Yutani Corporation]].<ref name="AWYR8">{{cite book|author=[[S. D. Perry]]|title=[[Alien: The Weyland-Yutani Report]]|page=8|year=[[2014]]|publisher=[[Insight Editions]]}}</ref> Weyland-Yutani was primarily a technology supplier, manufacturing [[Synthetic|synthetics]], starships and computers for a wide range of industrial and commercial clients, making them a household name.<ref name="BradyACM40">{{cite book|title=[[Aliens: Colonial Marines Official Strategy Guide]]|author=[[BradyGames]]|publisher=Dorling Kindersley|year=[[2013]]|page=40}}</ref> The company also had numerous non-manufacturing interests; it possessed extensive assets in interplanetary shipping and transport, and operated human [[Offworld Colony|colonies]] outside the solar system through the [[Extrasolar Colonization Administration]].<ref name="A2" /> The company also held a seat on the review board of the [[Interstellar Commerce Commission]],<ref name="RPG 238">{{cite book|author=[[Andrew E. C. Gaska]]|title=[[Alien: The Roleplaying Game]]|page=238|year=[[2019]]|publisher=[[Free League Publishing]]}}</ref> which it owned, although the organization itself was ostensibly independent.<ref name="RPG 235">{{cite book|author=[[Andrew E. C. Gaska]]|title=[[Alien: The Roleplaying Game]]|page=235|year=[[2019]]|publisher=[[Free League Publishing]]}}</ref> Weyland-Yutani's main offices were located in [[London]], [[Tokyo]], [[San Francisco]], the [[Sea of Tranquility]] on [[Luna]], and on [[Thedus]].<ref>''[[Alien Anthology (box set)|Alien Anthology]]'' Blu-ray menus</ref>
   
Weyland-Yutani is consistently portrayed as exhibiting the worst aspects of corporate profiteering, willing to sacrifice decency and life in the endless pursuit of profits.<ref name="A3"/><ref name="AVP2010">{{cite video|title='{{AVP2010}}'|medium=Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360|publisher=Rebellion|date=2010}}</ref> As such, it is a modern example of the longstanding trope of the evil mega-corporation in science fiction. In various portrayals of the ''Aliens'' universe, the corporation has its hands in all aspects of space colonization and research. The corporation has consistently ordered its employees and agents to attempt to obtain living [[Xenomorph (Alien)|Xenomorphs]] to be exploited as biological weapons, without regard for the lives of any people involved in said attempts.<ref name="A2"/> According to Weyland-Yutani employee [[Karl Bishop Weyland]], one of the corporation's primary goals behind capturing the Xenomorphs and creating weapons out of their biology was to ensure humanity remains the elite species in the universe, and not just because of profits.<ref name="AVP2010"/>
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Weyland-Yutani is consistently portrayed as exhibiting the worst aspects of corporate profiteering, willing to sacrifice decency and life in the endless pursuit of monetary profits.<ref name="A3" /><ref name="AVP2010">{{cite game|title=[[Aliens vs. Predator (2010 video game)|Aliens vs. Predator]]|year=[[2010]]|developer=[[Rebellion Developments|Rebellion]]|publisher=[[SEGA]]|platform=Microsoft Windows}}</ref> As such, it is a modern example of the longstanding trope of the evil mega-corporation in science fiction. In various portrayals within the ''Alien'' universe, Weyland-Yutani has its hands in all aspects of space colonization and research. The company has consistently driven its employees and agents to obtain a living sample of the species they designate [[Xenomorph XX121 (Alien)|Xenomorph XX121]], often without regard for the lives of anyone involved in said attempts, so that the creatures may be exploited as biological weapons or otherwise for financial gain.<ref name="A2" /> According to Weyland-Yutani employee [[Karl Bishop Weyland]], one of the company's primary goals behind capturing the Xenomorphs and creating weapons out of their biology is to ensure humanity remains the elite species in the universe, and not just because of profits.<ref name="AVP2010" />
   
 
==History==
 
==History==
===Origins===
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===Origins and growth===
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According to an entry in the Weyland-Yutani Report, Weyland-Yutani Corporation was formed when [[Weyland Corp]] absorbed [[Yutani Corporation]] in a hostile takeover in [[2099]].<ref name="AWYR8" /> This was however inaccurate, as it had actually been Yutani Corporation which had bought out Weyland Corp in a fierce bidding war, beating out other bidders like the Chinese Combine.<ref>[[Alien: Covenant - Origins]]</ref> Following the merger, Weyland-Yutani opened with the largest share value ever recorded on the Systems Exchange.<ref name="AWYR8" /> The company would go on to buy out numerous other businesses, investing in almost every sector, and had a controlling stake in a vast number of diverse corporations. According to some, Weyland-Yutani owned "pretty much everything" by the 2150s.<ref name="OOTS50">{{cite book|title=[[Alien: Out of the Shadows]]|author=[[Tim Lebbon]]|publisher=[[Titan Books]]|year=[[2014]]|page=50}}</ref> Many of the companies wholly or partly owned by Weyland-Yutani continued to operate under their own brand, such as [[Kelland Mining Company]].<ref name="OOTS50" />
The Weyland-Yutani Corporation has had several different origins in various media. While it was not the first to be portrayed, the origin established in {{pro}} is now considered the canonical version. In the film, the company is preceded by [[Weyland Corp]], established by [[Peter Weyland]] on October 11, 2012. Sometime after [http://www.projectprometheus.com/ Project Prometheus], Weyland Corp would acquire the [[Yutani Corporation]], thus forming the Weyland-Yutani Corporation.
 
   
Other origin stories for the company have been given in other media, although these have now been rendered largely defunct by the production of ''Prometheus''. Nonetheless, prominent references to Weyland-Yutani include:
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Other origin stories for the company have been given in other media, although these have now been rendered largely defunct by the production of ''[[Prometheus (film)|Prometheus]]''. Nonetheless, prominent references to Weyland-Yutani include:
*The video game {{PCJV}} depicts an unnamed company run by a man identified only as [[Weyland (person)|Weyland]] buying out business rival [[Borgia Industries]] in 2030, thereby obtaining the rights to their advanced weaponry, which was in reality stolen [[Yautja Weapons|Yautja technology]].
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*The video game {{PCJV}} depicts an unnamed company run by a man identified only as [[Weyland (person)|Weyland]] buying out business rival [[Borgia Industries]] in 2030, thereby obtaining the rights to their advanced weaponry, which was in reality stolen [[Yautja Weapons|Yautja technology]]. The same scene also features several agents from Yutani Corporation congratulating Weyland on his achievements.
*In {{AVP1}}, [[Charles Bishop Weyland]] is shown to be the founder of [[Weyland Industries]], and heads an expedition to Antarctica that uncovers the relationship between the Predators and the Xenomorphs. The Weyland Industries portrayed in the film bears no connection to the Weyland Corp seen in ''Prometheus'', and has essentially been rendered moot by the latter film.
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*In {{AVP1}}, [[Charles Bishop Weyland]] is shown to be the founder of [[Weyland Industries]], and heads an expedition to Antarctica that uncovers the relationship between the Predators and the Xenomorphs. ''AVP''<nowiki/>'s Weyland Industries bears no connection to the Weyland Corp seen in ''Prometheus'', and has essentially been rendered non-canon by the latter film.
*In the finale of {{AVP2}}, the man who called himself Colonel Stevens meets with a woman named [[Ms. Yutani]], offering her a [[Yautja (Predator)|Predator]] Plasma Cannon recovered from the survivors of the explosion in [[Gunnison, Colorado]].
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*In the finale of {{AVP2}}, Colonel Stevens meets with a woman named Ms. [[Yutani (person)|Yutani]], offering her a [[Yautja (Predator)|Predator]] Plasma Cannon recovered from the survivors of the explosion in [[Gunnison, Colorado]].
   
===Growth and activities===
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===Activities===
From the start, even the lowliest of Weyland-Yutani's employees were aware of the corrupt nature of the conglomerate. It was common knowledge amongst the company's commercial haulage fleet that senior management routinely bribed and paid off inspectors rather than submit to thorough safety inspections and reviews of their vessels.<ref name="Alienbook159">{{cite book|title=[[Alien (novel)|''Alien'' novelization]]|author=[[Alan Dean Foster]]|publisher=Warner Books, Inc.|year=1979|page=159}}</ref>
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From the start, even the lowliest of Weyland-Yutani's employees were aware of the corrupt nature of the conglomerate. It was common knowledge amongst the company's commercial haulage fleet that senior management routinely bribed and paid off inspectors rather than submit to thorough safety inspections and reviews of their vessels.<ref name="Alienbook208">{{cite book|author=[[Alan Dean Foster]]|title=[[Alien (novel)|Alien]]|page=208|year=[[2014]]|publisher=[[Titan Books]]}}</ref>
   
Some time prior to [[2122]], the Weyland-Yutani Corporation detected the signal being broadcast from the [[Derelict Ship|Derelict]] on [[Acheron (LV-426)]], the middle moon of 3 orbiting the ringed planet [[Calpamos]]. While the language was unknown, the company succeeded in deciphering enough of the message to learn it was a warning regarding the deadly [[Xenomorph (Alien)|Xenomorph]] species.<ref name="Alienbook201">{{cite book|title=[[Alien (novel)|Alien novelization]]|author=[[Alan Dean Foster]]|publisher=Warner Books, Inc.|year=1979|page=201}}</ref> They subsequently dispatched the {{USCSS|Nostromo}} to investigate, without the crew's knowledge, leading to initial human contact with the Xenomorph, the death of all but one of the ship's crew and the loss of the ''Nostromo'' itself.<ref name="A1">{{cite video|people=[[Dan O'Bannon]], [[Ronald Shusett]] (writers) and [[Ridley Scott]] (director)|title='{{A1}}'|medium=DVD|publisher=[[20th Century Fox]]|date=2003}}</ref> While the incident and the existence of the Xenomorph was apparently covered up by those involved, in a twist of irony the company later coincidentally established the [[Hadley's Hope]] terraforming colony on LV-426.<ref name="A2"/>
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Some time prior to [[2122]], Weyland-Yutani detected the signal being broadcast from the [[Derelict (LV-426)|derelict]] on [[Acheron (LV-426)]], the middle moon of three orbiting the ringed planet [[Calpamos]]. While the language was unknown, the company succeeded in deciphering enough of the message to learn it was a warning regarding the Xenomorphs.<ref name="Alienbook201">{{cite book|author=[[Alan Dean Foster]]|title=[[Alien (novel)|Alien]]|page=201|year=[[2014]]|publisher=[[Titan Books]]}}</ref> They subsequently dispatched the starfreighter {{USCSS|Nostromo}} to investigate, without the crew's knowledge, leading to initial human contact with the Xenomorph, the death of all but one of the ship's crew and the loss of ''Nostromo'' itself.<ref name="A1">{{cite video|people=[[Dan O'Bannon]], [[Ronald Shusett]] (writers), [[Ridley Scott]] (director)|title=[[Alien (film)|Alien]]|year=[[1979]]|publisher=[[20th Century Studios|20th Century Fox]]|medium=DVD}}</ref> The incident and the existence of the Xenomorph was subsequently covered up by those involved,<ref name="Archive002">{{AI}} - [[Alien: Isolation archive logs|Archive Log]] 002 - RE: ''Nostromo'' Incident</ref> while the beacon was later deactivated by the crew of {{USCSS|Anesidora}}, once again obscuring the deadly secret on the moon.
   
By [[2179]], Weyland-Yutani was heavily involved in the colonization of extrasolar planets, including the terraforming of suitable bodies with inhospitable atmospheres through the construction of [[Atmosphere Processor]]s.<ref name="A2"/> The corporation constructed and administrated numerous colonies across the galaxy, including Hadley's Hope on LV-426 and [[Freya's Prospect]] on [[BG-386]].<ref name="AVP2010"/> Weyland-Yutani was also involved in non-civilian colonies, notably overseeing the [[Fiorina 161 Class C Work Correctional Unit|Class C Work Correctional Unit]] and the associated industrial penal lead foundry on [[Fiorina 161]].<ref name="A3"/>
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By [[2137]], Weyland-Yutani was heavily involved in the colonization of extrasolar planets and moons,<ref name="Archive075">{{AI}} - [[Alien: Isolation archive logs|Archive Log]] 075 - An Outpost of Progress? #4</ref> including the terraforming of suitable bodies with inhospitable atmospheres through the construction of [[Atmosphere Processing Plant]]s.<ref name="A2" /> Over its history, the company constructed and administrated numerous colonies across the galaxy, including [[Hadley's Hope]] – ironically established on LV-426, the very moon where ''Nostromo'' had encountered the deadly Xenomorph – and [[Freya's Prospect]] on [[BG-386]].<ref name="AVP2010" /> Weyland-Yutani was also involved in non-civilian colonies, notably overseeing the [[Fiorina 161 Class C Work Correctional Unit|Class C Work Correctional Unit]] and the associated industrial penal lead foundry on [[Fiorina "Fury" 161]].<ref name="A3" /> In November of 2137, the company learned of a new Xenomorph incident on [[Sevastopol Station]], and promptly purchased the failing facility from its competitor [[Seegson]] in the hopes of again securing samples of the creature.<ref name="Archive120">{{AI}} - [[Alien: Isolation archive logs|Archive Log]] 120 - Sold!</ref> However, the station and all the creatures aboard were destroyed before the company could complete their goals.
   
The company also operated numerous research and development facilities throughout the galaxy, often pursuing top-secret research into illegal or dangerous fields, focussing in particular on the study of the Xenomorph species. Major Weyland-Yutani laboratories included installations on [[LV-1201]]<ref name="AversusP2">{{cite video|title='''[[Aliens versus Predator 2]]'''|medium=Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X|publisher=Monolith Productions|date=2001}}</ref> and BG-386,<ref name="AVP2010"/> and the [[Origin Facility]] on LV-426.<ref name="ACM">{{cite video|title='{{ACM}}'|medium=Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360|publisher=Gearbox Software|date=2013}}</ref> These labs often operated under particularly amoral conditions, especially where Xenomorph research was concerned; live humans were frequently used as unwilling hosts for the creatures, while some teams were even known to deliberately sacrifice low-level Weyland-Yutani employees as live prey in Xenomorph tests.<ref name="AVP2010"/> On BG-386, inhabitants from the civilian colony were apparently abducted for use in research, often under the pretence of being "promoted" to a new position elsewhere on the planet.<ref name="AVP2010">{{cite video|title='''[[Aliens vs. Predator (2010 video game)|Aliens vs. Predator]]'''|medium=Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360|publisher=Rebellion|date=2010}}</ref>
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As well as its colonization efforts, Weyland-Yutani also operated numerous research and development facilities throughout the galaxy, often pursuing top-secret research into illegal or dangerous fields, focusing in particular on the study of the Xenomorph species. Major Weyland-Yutani laboratories included installations on [[LV-1201]]<ref name="AversusP2">{{cite game|title=[[Aliens versus Predator 2]]|year=[[2001]]|developer=[[Monolith Productions]]|publisher=[[Sierra Entertainment]], [[Fox Interactive]]|platform=Microsoft Windows}}</ref> and BG-386,<ref name="AVP2010" /> and the [[Origin Facility]] on LV-426.<ref name="ACM" /> These labs often operated under particularly amoral conditions, especially where Xenomorph research was concerned; humans were frequently used as unwilling hosts for the creatures, while some teams were even known to deliberately sacrifice low-level employees as live prey in Xenomorph tests.<ref name="AVP2010" /> On BG-386, inhabitants from the planet's civilian colony were apparently abducted for use in research, often under the pretence of being "promoted" to a new position elsewhere on the planet.<ref name="AVP2010" />
   
Despite tight security, typically enforced by Weyland-Yutani manufactured [[Combat Android]]s, these research facilities were notorious for their containment failures and outbreaks, events that usually led to huge loss of life amongst staff (and any civilians unlucky enough to be caught in harm's way) and the involvement of the [[United States Colonial Marine Corps]].
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Despite tight security, typically enforced by Weyland-Yutani's [[combat android]]s, these research facilities were notorious for their containment failures and outbreaks, events that usually led to huge loss of life amongst staff (and any civilians unlucky enough to be caught in harm's way) and the involvement of the [[United States Colonial Marine Corps]].
   
===Collapse===
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===Collapse and re-emergence===
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By the 2290s, Weyland-Yutani began experiencing serious financial and political pressures. Its colony at Nu Indi successfully sued for independence, effectively removing itself from the company's influence. Two years later, the company lost out to rival conglomerate Ridton on a contract to supply the [[United Systems Military]] (USM) with FTL drives, severely affecting the company's financial performance.<ref name="AWYR9">{{cite book|author=[[S. D. Perry]]|title=[[Alien: The Weyland-Yutani Report]]|page=9|year=[[2014]]|publisher=[[Insight Editions]]}}</ref> Finally, in [[2349]], megacorporations such as Weyland-Yutani were outlawed altogether; the company appealed, but after three years of costly litigation the ban was upheld and Weyland-Yutani formally folded.<ref name="AWYR8" />
By the year [[2379]], Weyland-Yutani is said to have been bought out by [[Walmart]] decades previously.<ref name="A4">{{cite video|people=[[Joss Whedon]] (writer) and [[Jean-Pierre Jeunet]] (director)|title='{{A4}}'|medium=DVD|publisher=[[20th Century Fox]]|date=1997}}</ref> Consequently an interstellar military force called the [[United Systems Military]] now controls many of the weapons and R&D interests previously held by Weyland-Yutani. Some have theorised that the character who imparts this information, Dr. [[Mason Wren]], was in fact lying about the "Walmart buyout" in order to mask Weyland-Yutani's involvement in his Xenomorph cloning project, and believe that the USM is in reality just another branch of Weyland-Yutani at the time.
 
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However, even during this time, agents of Weyland-Yutani continued to operate in secrecy. The company utilized contacts within the USM who passed them information about their various research projects.<ref name="AWYR157">{{cite book|author=[[S. D. Perry]]|title=[[Alien: The Weyland-Yutani Report]]|page=157|year=[[2014]]|publisher=[[Insight Editions]]}}</ref> Following the crash of {{USM|Auriga}} on Earth, Weyland-Yutani seized upon much of the information the USM had collected about the Xenomorphs, incorporating it into {{AWYR}}, an extensive report on the species and humanity's historical encounters with it. Following the fall of the USM, Weyland-Yutani eventually re-emerged as a powerful multinational corporation, a resurgence partly fuelled by the company's role in cleaning up the heavily polluted and damaged Earth, and the corresponding surge in public approval and support that went with it.<ref name="SOS39">{{cite book|title=[[Alien: Sea of Sorrows]]|author=[[James A. Moore]]|publisher=[[Titan Books]]|year=[[2014]]|page=39}}</ref>
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=== Buying the USCM ===
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=== The Yautja Incursions ===
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=== The Rage War ===
   
 
==Divisions==
 
==Divisions==
 
===Bio-Weapons Division===
 
===Bio-Weapons Division===
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{{Quote|When they first heard about this thing, it was crew expendable. The next time they sent in Marines; they were expendable too. What makes you think they're gonna care about a bunch of lifers who found God at the ass-end of space? You really think they're going to let you interfere with their plans for this thing? They think we're crud, and they don't give a fuck about one friend of yours that's died. Not one.|'''[[Ellen Ripley|Ripley]]''' to the inmates on [[Fiorina "Fury" 161|Fiorina 161]], regarding Weyland-Yutani's Xenomorph capture ethics (from {{A3}})}}
Weyland-Yutani's Bio-Weapons Division was a special department that dealt with the research and development of biological and viral weapons. One of their primary goals was to obtain a viable Xenomorph specimen, whether it be in the form of a [[Facehugger]], a [[Chestburster]] or a mature adult; in some cases a Chestburster sample was considered preferable due to the ease with which one could be passed through quarantine undetected within their hosts.<ref name="A2"/> Weyland-Yutani believed that biological self replicating weapons such as the Xenomorph could form a ubiquitous component of distant force projection operations vulnerable to unforeseen threats capable of exhausting traditional security personnel and ammunition stores that may not be easily replenished across the vast distances of space.
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Weyland-Yutani's Bio-Weapons Division was a special department that dealt with the research and development of biological and viral weapons. One of their primary goals was to obtain a viable specimen of the species Xenomorph XX121, whether it be in the form of a [[Facehugger]], a [[Chestburster]] or a mature adult; in some cases an immature Chestburster sample was considered preferable due to the ease with which one could be passed through quarantine undetected within their hosts.<ref name="A2" /> Weyland-Yutani believed that biological self-replicating weapons such as the Xenomorph could form an ubiquitous component of distant force projection operations, which were otherwise vulnerable to unforeseen threats capable of exhausting traditional security personnel and ammunition stores that were not be easily replenished across the vast distances of space.
   
 
[[File:WY_Bioweapons_Division.jpg|thumb|Weyland-Yutani Bio-Weapons Division personnel during a Xenomorph retrieval mission.]]
 
[[File:WY_Bioweapons_Division.jpg|thumb|Weyland-Yutani Bio-Weapons Division personnel during a Xenomorph retrieval mission.]]
The company's attempts to obtain Xenomorphs frequently involved subterfuge and the sacrifice of human life. [[Ellen Ripley]] inevitably became a major enemy of Weyland-Yutani's Bio-Weapons Division after surviving the company's first attempt to capture a live Alien aboard the USCSS ''Nostromo''. Ripley would subsequently uncover (and defeat) numerous other attempts made by the company in this regard. Following Weyland-Yutani's collapse, much of the Bio-Weapons Division's work was appropriated and continued by the [[United Systems Military]]. The USM's own research would later fall foul of [[Ripley 8]], a clone of the original Ellen Ripley.
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The company's attempts to obtain Xenomorphs frequently involved subterfuge and the sacrifice of human life. [[Ellen Ripley]] inevitably became a major enemy of the Bio-Weapons Division after surviving the company's first attempt to capture a live Xenomorph aboard USCSS ''Nostromo''. She would subsequently uncover (and defeat) numerous other attempts made by the company in this regard. Following Weyland-Yutani's collapse, much of the Bio-Weapons Division's work was appropriated and continued by the USM. Their own research would later fall foul of [[Ripley 8]], a clone of the original Ellen Ripley.
   
 
===Reverse-Engineering Division===
 
===Reverse-Engineering Division===
The reverse-engineering division was mainly focussed on the study and implementation of recovered [[Yautja (Predator)|Yautja]] technology. The department was largely built upon the work carried out by [[Borgia Industries]]<ref name="PCJ">{{cite video|title='{{PCJV}}'|medium=PlayStation 2, Xbox|publisher=Vivendi Universal Games|date=2005}}</ref> and the [[Yutani Corporation]],<ref name="AvP2">{{cite video|people=[[Dan O'Bannon]], [[Ronald Shusett]], [[Jim Thomas]], [[John Thomas]] (writers) and The [[Brothers Strause]] (directors)|title='{{AVP2}}'|medium=DVD|publisher=[[20th Century Fox]]|date=2007}}</ref> both of which were incorporated into Weyland-Yutani through business mergers (with the Yutani Corporation being a major partner and partial originator of the company's name).
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The Reverse-Engineering Division was mainly focused on the study and implementation of recovered {{Pred}} technology. The department was largely built upon the work carried out by [[Borgia Industries]]<ref name="PCJ">{{cite game|title=[[Predator: Concrete Jungle (video game)|Predator: Concrete Jungle]]|year=[[2005]]|developer=[[Eurocom]]|publisher=[[Sierra Entertainment]], [[Vivendi Games|Vivendi Universal Games]]|platform=PlayStation 2, Xbox}}</ref> and the [[Yutani Corporation]],<ref name="AvP2">{{cite video|people=[[Shane Salerno]] (writer), [[Brothers Strause|The Brothers Strause]] (directors)|title=[[Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem]]|year=[[2007]]|publisher=[[20th Century Studios|20th Century Fox]]|medium=DVD}}</ref> both of which were incorporated into Weyland-Yutani through business mergers (with the Yutani Corporation being a major partner and partial originator of the company's name).
   
As with the company's bio-weapons division, Weyland-Yutani's reverse engineering projects were generally run with little regard for morals, although owing to the research being based primarily on the study of appropriated technology, the scope for appalling breaches of human rights was less open. Even so, the division ruthlessly captured and exploited alien tech, stealing Predator and [[Engineer]] technology with little thought as to how the species that created it may react. As a result, the company often ran afoul of the Predators, who were fiercely protective of their advanced technology and considered the slaughter of any who would attempt to steal it a cultural necessity.<ref name="AVP2010"/>
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As with the company's Bio-Weapons Division, Weyland-Yutani's reverse-engineering projects were generally run with little regard for morals, although owing to the research being based primarily on the study of appropriated technology, the scope for appalling breaches of human rights was less open. Even so, the division ruthlessly captured and exploited alien tech, stealing Predator and [[Engineer]] technology with little thought as to how the species that created it may react. As a result, the company often ran afoul of the Yautja, who were fiercely protective of their advanced technology and considered the slaughter of any who would attempt to steal it a cultural necessity.<ref name="AVP2010" />
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===Special Services Division===
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Little is truly known about Weyland-Yutani's Special Services Division, with the only confirmed contact being through employee [[Carter Burke]], who acted as Special Projects Director within the department.<ref name="A2" /> However, it is thought to be an umbrella division that oversaw and managed various other aspects of the company's research programs.
   
 
===Weapons manufacture===
 
===Weapons manufacture===
Apart from the company's bio-weapons projects, Weyland-Yutani was also heavily involved in the manufacture of conventional weaponry, and was a major supplier for the [[United States Colonial Marine Corps]].<ref name="AVP2010"/> Weyland-Yutani products include the [[M56 Smartgun]], the [[VP 78 Pistol]], the [[W-Y MK221 Tactical Shotgun|MK221 Tactical Shotgun]] and the [[NSG 23 Assault Rifle]].
+
Apart from the company's bio-weapons projects, Weyland-Yutani was also heavily involved in the manufacture of conventional and other weaponry, and was a major supplier for the [[United States Colonial Marine Corps]].<ref name="AVP2010" /> Weyland-Yutani products various firearms as well as specialized ammunition for specific circumstances.
  +
====Weyland-Yutani manufactured weapons list====
 
  +
====Pistols====
*[[M42C Scoped Rifle]]
 
*[[VP 78 Pistol]]
+
*[[88 Mod 4 Combat Pistol]]
*[[MK221 Tactical Shotgun]]
+
*[[Type 95 Combat Pistol]]
  +
  +
==== Machine Pistols ====
  +
*[[VP78 Pistol]]
  +
*[[Type 78 Burst Pistol]]
  +
  +
==== Submachine Guns ====
  +
*[[LEM MP11 Stormsurge]] (under [[Lindenthal-Ehrenfeld Militärindustrie]] brand)
  +
  +
==== Assault Rifles ====
 
*[[NSG 23 Assault Rifle]]
 
*[[NSG 23 Assault Rifle]]
 
*[[EM41 Pulse Rifle]]
*[[Heckler & Koch VP70|88 Mod 4 Combat Pistol]]
 
  +
*[[L36 Halberd]]
  +
*[[Type 88 Heavy Assault Rifle]]
  +
  +
==== Dedicated Marksman Rifles ====
  +
*[[LEM StG24 Storm Rifle]] (under [[Lindenthal-Ehrenfeld Militärindustrie]] brand)
  +
  +
==== Sniper Rifles ====
  +
*[[L33 Pike]]
  +
  +
==== Shotguns ====
 
*[[MK221 Tactical Shotgun]]
  +
*[[ZX-76 Shotgun]]
  +
*[[AF13 Shotgun]] – Under-barrel attachment for the NSG 23
  +
*[[Type 21 Tactical Shotgun]]
  +
*[[Type 76 Auto Shotgun]]
  +
  +
==== Grenade Launchers ====
  +
*[[Weyland-Yutani Grenade Launcher]]
  +
  +
==== Machine Guns ====
  +
*[[L56A3 Smartgun]]
  +
*[[L59 Minigun]]
  +
  +
==== Machine Guns ====
  +
*[[L56A3 Smartgun]]
  +
*[[L59 Minigun]]
  +
  +
==== Railguns ====
  +
*[[WY-102 Sniper Rifle]]
  +
  +
==== Sentry Guns ====
  +
*[[Remote Sentry Turret]]
  +
  +
==== Flamethrowers (mechanical incendiary devices) ====
 
*[[M260B Flamethrower]]
 
*[[M260B Flamethrower]]
  +
*[[ID23 Incineration Unit]] – Under-barrel attachment for the NSG 23
*[[ZX 76 Shotgun]]
 
*[[M56 Smartgun]]
+
*[[Type 99 Incinerator]]
  +
  +
==== Energy Weapons ====
  +
*[[P.649 HEL]]
  +
  +
==== Firearm sights, suppressors, stocks and modifications ====
  +
* [[S91 Dot Reflex Sight]] – Sight for the NSG 23
  +
* [[2x Telescopic Zoom Sight]] – Sight for the NSG 23
  +
* [[BL11 Firearm Muffler|BL11 Silencer]] – Suppressor for the NSG 23
  +
* [[RE93 Absorbing Stock]] – Stock for the NSG 23
  +
* [[SR4 Burst Fire Modification]] – Modification for the NSG 23
  +
  +
==== Ammunition ====
  +
* [[H34 Fragmentation Round|H34 Fragmentation Rounds]] – Ammunition for the NSG 23
  +
  +
==== Cyborgs ====
  +
*[[Berserker (combat unit)|Berserker (MAX)]]
   
 
===Other divisions===
 
===Other divisions===
Weyland-Yutani held numerous other divisions of interest, most notably a large stake in interplanetary cargo transport.<ref name="A1"/> It also operated departments focussed on media and manufacturing, and worked in close conjunction with the [[Extrasolar Colonization Administration]]. Weyland-Yutani's terraforming efforts were frequently portrayed as being benevolent in nature, but almost always carried a hidden agenda, or at least a substantial profit margin for the company.
+
Weyland-Yutani held numerous other divisions of interest, most notably a large stake in interplanetary cargo transport.<ref name="A1" /> It also operated departments focussed on media and manufacturing, and worked in close conjunction with the [[Extrasolar Colonization Administration]]. Weyland-Yutani's terraforming efforts were frequently portrayed as being benevolent in nature, but almost always carried a hidden agenda, or at least a substantial profit margin for the company. Weyland-Yutani also manufactured [[Aspen Beer]] in the early 22nd century. Yet another notable division was the [[Meridian|Meridian car marque]], which specialised in providing vehicles for colonial markets.
   
 
==Relationship to the USCM==
 
==Relationship to the USCM==
It has frequently been suggested that Weyland-Yutani shared close ties with the [[United States Colonial Marine Corps]] and even had a hand in the means and ways of its continued operation. Weyland-Yutani employee [[Karl Bishop Weyland]] alluded that the corporation may have played a massive part in the actual formation of the USCM, stating that he and the Corps were "old friends" and that it was effectively just another "corporate asset".<ref name="AVP2010"/> Regardless of the truth in these statements, Weyland-Yutani did manufacture many of the Corps' weapons and vehicles, particularly their large spacecraft, including the {{class|Conestoga}} vessels. USCM equipment, including vehicles and firearms, were often used by Weyland-Yutani themselves.<ref name="A3">{{cite video|people=[[Vincent Ward]] (writer) and [[David Fincher]] (director)|title='{{A3}}'|medium=DVD|publisher=[[20th Century Fox]]|date=1992}}</ref>
+
Weyland-Yutani has influence over the [[United States Colonial Marine Corps]].<ref name="BradyACM40" /> Weyland-Yutani employee [[Karl Bishop Weyland]] alluded that the corporation may have played a massive part in the actual formation of the USCM, stating that he and the Corps were "old friends" and that it was effectively just another "corporate asset".<ref name="AVP2010" /> Regardless of the truth in these statements, Weyland-Yutani did manufacture many of the Corps' weapons and vehicles, particularly their large spacecraft, including the {{class|Conestoga}} vessels. USCM equipment, including vehicles and firearms, were often used by Weyland-Yutani themselves.<ref name="A3" />
   
Weyland-Yutani frequently oversaw the deployment of USCM forces in operations where it held a significant stake, including the initial mission to investigate [[Hadley's Hope]]. While Weyland-Yutani may not have had actual ownership of the Corps itself, the company at least held stock and/or partially financed the Corps, essentially allowing them to make the Corps available for their own personal use.
+
Weyland-Yutani frequently oversaw the deployment of USCM forces in operations where it held a significant stake, including the initial mission to investigate [[Hadley's Hope]]. While Weyland-Yutani may not have had actual ownership of the Corps itself, the company at least partially financed the Corps, essentially allowing them to make the Corps available for their own personal use.
   
==Behind the scenes==
+
==Behind the Scenes==
  +
[[File:Weyland-YutaniOriginalLogo.png|thumb|The original logo for "Weylan-Yutani" in {{A1}}.]]
The company's original name was Weylan-Yutani, briefly seen on a monitor in the film ''Alien''; this name was created by Ron Cobb, one of the designers of the ''[[USCSS Nostromo|Nostromo]]'' and its crew's uniforms. The "d" was later added to the first part of the name by [[James Cameron]] in ''Aliens''.
 
  +
[[File:WeyYu.png|thumb|The updated version of this logo (now Weylan'''''d'''''-Yutani) in {{Pro2}}.]]
 
The company's original name was "Weylan-Yutani", briefly seen on a monitor and [[Aspen Beer]] can in the film ''Alien''; this name was created by [[Ron Cobb]], one of the designers of the ''[[USCSS Nostromo|Nostromo]]'' and its crew's uniforms. In the film, the company's logo consisted of a winged sun emblem, based on Egyptian architecture. The original Weylan-Yutani name was also used by [[James Cameron]] in his [[Alien II (original treatment)|initial treatment]] for a sequel to ''Alien'', and later reappeared in [[David Twohy]]'s [[Alien III (David Twohy)|unproduced script]] for {{A3}}.
   
 
{{Quote|One of the things I enjoyed most about ''Alien'' was its subtle satirical content. Science fiction films offer golden opportunities to throw in little scraps of information that suggest enormous changes in the world. There's a certain potency in those kinds of remarks. Weylan Yutani for instance is almost a joke, but not quite. I wanted to imply that poor old England is back on its feet and has united with the Japanese, who have taken over the building of spaceships the same way they have now with cars and supertankers. In coming up with a strange company name I thought of British Leyland and Toyota, but we couldn't use "Leyland-Toyota" in the film. Changing one letter gave me "Weylan", and "Yutani" was a Japanese neighbor of mine.|Ron Cobb on conceptualizing Weylan-Yutani}}
{| class="cquote" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-right-style: none; background-color: transparent; margin: auto; width: auto; border-collapse: collapse; border-top-style: none; border-left-style: none"
 
| style="text-align: left; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 10px; font-family: 'times new roman', serif; color: #b2b7f2; font-size: 35px; font-weight: bold; padding-top: 10px" valign="top" width="20"|“
 
| style="padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 4px" valign="top"|One of the things I enjoyed most about ''Alien'' was its subtle satirical content. Science fiction films offer golden opportunities to throw in little scraps of information that suggest enormous changes in the world. There's a certain potency in those kinds of remarks. Weylan Yutani for instance is almost a joke, but not quite. I wanted to imply that poor old England is back on its feet and has united with the Japanese, who have taken over the building of spaceships the same way they have now with cars and supertankers. In coming up with a strange company name I thought of British Leyland and Toyota, but we couldn't use "Leyland-Toyota" in the film. Changing one letter gave me "Weylan," and "Yutani" was a Japanese neighbor of mine.
 
| style="text-align: right; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 10px; font-family: 'times new roman', serif; color: #b2b7f2; font-size: 36px; font-weight: bold; padding-top: 10px" valign="bottom" width="20"|”
 
|-
 
| colspan="3" style="padding-right: 4%"|
 
<p style="text-align:right">—Ron Cobb, "The Authorized Portfolio of Crew Insignias from The United States Commercial Spaceship Nostromo Designs and Realizations" by John Mollo and Ron Cobb</p>
 
|}
 
   
When [[James Cameron]] was assigned to write and direct an ''Alien'' sequel, the role and significance of Weyland-Yutani increased greatly, becoming an indispensable element in Alien lore. The original ''Weylan-Yutani'' logo, an Egyptian winged-sun emblem, was modified to its current corporo-industrial interlocked W/Y for the film. This logo can be viewed in various places throughout the movie, most prominently on crates and the front of a child's tricycle at the [[Hadley's Hope]] colony before the Xenomorph outbreak there.<ref name="A2DC">{{cite video|people=[[James Cameron]] (writer and director)|title='{{A2}}' Special Edition|medium=DVD|publisher=[[20th Century Fox]]|date=1992}}</ref> Cameron has also said that the way in which [[Carter Burke|Burke]] accompanies the Colonial Marines on their mission to LV-426 was supposed to invoke the conspiracy of America's involvement in Vietnam being for purely corporate interests.
+
When Cameron was assigned to write and direct ''Aliens'', the role and significance of the company increased greatly. Cameron eventually added a "d" to the first part of the company's name, and also scrapped the original winged sun emblem, replacing it instead with a new corporo-industrial interlocked W/Y logo of his own design. This logo can be viewed in various places throughout the movie, most obviously in the extended [[Aliens Special Edition|Special Edition]], where it is seen on crates and the front of a child's tricycle at the [[Hadley's Hope]] colony before the Xenomorph outbreak.<ref name="A2DC">{{cite video|people=[[James Cameron]] (writer and director)|title=[[Aliens (film)|Aliens]] [[Aliens Special Edition|Special Edition]]|year=[[1991]]|publisher=[[20th Century Studios|20th Century Fox]]|medium=LaserDisc}}</ref> Cameron has gone on record as saying that the way in which [[Carter Burke|Burke]] accompanies the Colonial Marines on their mission to LV-426 was supposed to invoke the conspiracy of America's involvement in Vietnam being for purely corporate interests. The prominent use of the company in the film propelled it to being an indispensable element of the ''Alien'' universe.
   
In {{A3}}, Weyland-Yutani's logo appears on the furnaces at the [[Fiorina 161 Class C Work Correctional Unit]], and can also be seen stencilled across the shirts, prison jackets and caps worn by various characters in the film, including [[Ellen Ripley]]. It is also seen on screen several times written in Japanese; it appears on a box of supplies as ウェイランド湯谷. The first six Kana of this are part of the Japanese syllabary Katakana which is used to spell foreign words, and here they spell ''weirando'' (Weyland). The second part is the Japanese name Yutani written with two kanji, which literally means "hot-water valley" in English. The corporation's name also appears in a newspaper headline where the last four kanji (株式会社) read ''Kabushiki gaisha'' which means "joint stock corporation".
+
In ''Alien<sup>3</sup>'', Weyland-Yutani's logo appears on the furnaces at the [[Fiorina 161 Class C Work Correctional Unit]], and can also be seen stenciled across the shirts, prison jackets and caps worn by various characters in the film, including [[Ellen Ripley]]. It is also seen on screen several times written in Japanese; it appears on a box of supplies as ウェイランド湯谷. The first six Kana of this are part of the Japanese syllabary Katakana which is used to spell foreign words, and here they spell ''weirando'' (Weyland). The second part is the Japanese name Yutani written with two kanji, which literally means "hot-water valley" in English. The corporation's name also appears in a newspaper headline where the last four kanji (株式会社) read ''kabushiki gaisha'' which means "joint-stock corporation".
   
 
==Trivia==
 
==Trivia==
  +
*While James Cameron cemented Weyland-Yutani as an integral part of the [[Alien (franchise)|''Alien'' franchise]] with {{A2}}, ironically his [[Alien II (original treatment)|initial treatment]] for the film stated that the company had in fact been bought out by another, unnamed conglomerate prior to the events of the movie, and that Weyland-Yutani no longer existed.<ref name="A2 treatment">[[Alien II (original treatment)|''Alien II'' treatment]] (September 21, 1983) by [[David Giler]], [[Walter Hill]] and [[James Cameron]]</ref>
*Despite the fact that the company is portrayed as almost entirely ruthless, they appear to let [[Robert Morse]] live, even though he is a witness to the events on [[Fiorina 161]] and what the company attempted to do there. Since Morse is a convict, it is possible the company simply rationalised people would be unlikely to believe anything he could say to damage them.
+
*Despite the fact that the company is portrayed as almost entirely ruthless, they appear to let [[Robert Morse]] live at the end of ''Alien<sup>3</sup>'', even though he is a witness to the events on [[Fiorina "Fury" 161|Fiorina 161]] and what the company attempted to do there. Since Morse is a convict, it is possible the company simply rationalised people would be unlikely to believe anything he could say to damage them. The [[Alien Resurrection (novel)|novelization]] of {{A4}} reveals that Morse later wrote a book about the Fiorina 161 incident, but it was banned.<ref name="Alien Res book 115">{{cite book|author=[[A. C. Crispin]], [[Kathleen O'Malley]]|title=[[Alien Resurrection (novel)|Alien Resurrection]]|page=115|year=[[2015]]|publisher=[[Titan Books]]}}</ref>
*Supplemental materials on the {{Pro}} Blu-ray suggest the Tyrell Corporation from [[Ridley Scott]]'s film ''Blade Runner'' is one of Weyland-Yutani's competitors.<ref name="Trends">{{cite web|title=Digital Trends - Prometheus Blu-ray links Alien, Blade Runner universes|url=http://www.digitaltrends.com/movies/prometheus-blu-ray-links-alien-blade-runner-universes/|accessdate=2013-05-28}}</ref> Fans have often theorized that ''Blade Runner'' may be set in the same universe as {{A1}} owing to the two films' similar style and design, but this oblique reference remains the only suggestion of such a link in official media (furthermore, the information on the Blu-ray seems to be more of an Easter Egg than hard fact).
 
  +
*In [[Peter Briggs]]' unproduced ''Alien vs. Predator'' script, titled ''[[The Hunt: Alien vs. Predator]]'', a "Yutani-Templin" company is mentioned, implying that the [[Yutani Corporation]] was involved in other corporate mergers in addition to its merger with Weyland-Yutani, and that these other conglomerates are still in operation. However, the exact nature of the company is never elaborated upon, and the script was never produced.
*The corporate/military collaboration in pursuit and protection of commerce isn't unprecedented, dating back to the 16th cenutry Dutch Empire's West Indies Trading Companies explicit charter to colonize territories using the Dutch Navy. [[James Cameron]] referenced this historical model in the ''Aliens'' directors commentary as the basis of the Weyland-Yutani/USCM relationship.
 
 
*Supplemental materials on the {{Pro1}} Blu-ray suggest the Tyrell Corporation from [[Ridley Scott]]'s film ''Blade Runner'' is one of Weyland-Yutani's competitors.<ref name="Trends">{{cite web|title=Digital Trends - Prometheus Blu-ray links Alien, Blade Runner universes|url=http://www.digitaltrends.com/movies/prometheus-blu-ray-links-alien-blade-runner-universes/|accessdate=2013-05-28}}</ref> Fans have often theorized that ''Blade Runner'' may be set in the same universe as {{A1}} owing to the two films' similar style and design, but this oblique reference remains the only suggestion of such a link in official media (furthermore, the information on the Blu-ray seems to be more of an Easter Egg than hard fact).
 
*The corporate/military collaboration in pursuit and protection of commerce isn't unprecedented, dating back to the 16th century Dutch Empire's West Indies Trading Companies explicit charter to colonize territories using the Dutch Navy. [[James Cameron]] referenced this historical model in the ''Aliens'' directors commentary as the basis of the Weyland-Yutani/USCM relationship.
 
*In 2013, multinational professional services firm Ernst & Young rebranded their corporate slogan to "Building a better working world"; the similarity to Weyland-Yutani's slogan is likely just a coincidence.
 
*In 2013, multinational professional services firm Ernst & Young rebranded their corporate slogan to "Building a better working world"; the similarity to Weyland-Yutani's slogan is likely just a coincidence.
*Weyland-Yutani has been referenced in several other films and television series since ''Aliens'':
+
*Weyland-Yutani is, along with the iconic Chestburster scene, one of the most heavily [[List of Alien references in popular culture|referenced]] aspects of the ''Alien'' franchise, having been featured or alluded to in several other films and television series since ''Aliens'':
**In the episode "Harm's Way" of TV series ''Angel'', Weyland-Yutani is revealed to be a client of evil interdimensional law firm Wolfram & Hart. As co-creator [[Joss Whedon]] had written the original draft to ''Alien Resurrection'', this was most likely an in-joke aimed at Whedon himself.
+
**In the 2002 pilot episode of ''Firefly'', Mal Reynolds is seen using a machine gun turret in a flashback sequence, and at the top of the turret's targeting system, the Weyland-Yutani logo can be seen. ''Firefly'' was created by ''Alien Resurrection'' writer [[Joss Whedon]].
  +
**In the 2004 episode "Harm's Way" of ''Angel'', Weyland-Yutani is revealed to be a client of evil interdimensional law firm Wolfram & Hart. ''Angel'' was also co-created by Whedon.
**In another Whedon television series, the short-lived space western ''Firefly'', the pilot episode sees main character Mal Reynolds using a turret gun in a flashback sequence. At the top of the targeting system, a Weyland-Yutani logo can be seen.
 
  +
**In the "Sniper" series of novels by Alan D. Altieri, a prominent villain to hero Russel Kane is a megacorporation known as Gottschalk-Yutani, which fills a similar role to Weyland-Yutani in the ''Alien'' franchise.
**While Weyland-Yutani does not feature, a similar conglomerate appears in James Cameron's later film ''Avatar'', often referred to by the same moniker of "The Company".
 
  +
**The 2009 film ''Avatar'' (directed by James Cameron) features a corporation known as the [[w:c:james-camerons-avatar:RDA|RDA]], which at one point is referred to as "the Company", similarly to Weyland-Yutani. The two corporations bear notable similarities beyond this nickname, including resource-mongering and a lack of ethical concerns.
**Weyland-Yutani was also referenced in ABC's television show ''V'', during a presentation of alien technology to various companies on Earth.
+
**In the 2010 episode "We Can't Win" of the television series remake ''V'', Weyland-Yutani is seen written on a name plate at a presentation of alien technology to various companies on Earth.
  +
**In the 2010 film ''The Rig'', the company that owns the titular oil rig is called Weyland Drilling Corp, in reference to the ''Alien'' series. The company also uses a similar logo. Both ''Alien'' and ''The Rig'' deal with a small group of blue-collar workers trapped in a restricted space being stalked by a voracious killer monster.
  +
**During the first season of the Discovery Channel documentary series ''Extreme Engineering'', an oil tanker is seen in the CGI segments of some episodes with the name Weyland-Yutani on the hull.
  +
**In the 2016 animated reconstruction of the 1966 ''Doctor Who'' serial "The Power of the Daleks", the Weyland-Yutani logo can be seen on a communications device in the governor's office. Also, in the serial "Paradise Towers" (1987) there were old, repainted barrels that clearly showed the remnants of the Weyland-Yutani logo
  +
*Despite the can in ''Alien'' naming the company as "Weylan Yutani", the LaserDisc release of ''Alien'' says "Also notice another prop that is seen only discreetly in the film: a can of beer manufactured by the other-wise unnamed "Company" that employs the ''Nostromo'' crew - "Weyland- Yutani.<sup>[sic]</sup>" and "Ripley enjoys a can of Weyland-Yutani Beer".
   
 
==Appearances==
 
==Appearances==
  +
*{{A1}}/{{A1N}}/{{A1C}}
*{{A1}}/''[[Alien (Novel)|novel]]''/''[[Alien (Comic)|comic]]''
 
  +
*{{A2}}/{{A2N}}
*[[Aliens: Apocalypse - The Destroying Angels|''Aliens: Apocalypse - The Destroying Angels'']]
 
  +
*{{A3}}/{{A3N}}/{{A3C}}
*{{A2}}/''[[Aliens (novel)|novel]]''
 
 
*''[[Aliens: Newt's Tale]]''
 
*''[[Aliens: Newt's Tale]]''
  +
*{{A3TG}}
*{{A3}}/''[[Alien 3 (Novel)|novel]]''/''[[Alien 3 (comic)|comic]]''
 
  +
*{{A4}}/{{A4N}} {{Mention}}
*{{A4}}/''[[Alien: Resurrection (novel)|novel]]'' (mentioned only)
 
  +
*''[[Aliens: Salvation]]'' {{Mention}}
*''[[Aliens versus Predator (1999 video game)|Aliens versus Predator]]'' (video game)
 
*''[[Aliens versus Predator 2]]'' (video game)
+
*''[[Aliens: Apocalypse]]''
*''[[Aliens versus Predator 2: Primal Hunt]]'' (video game)
+
*''[[Aliens versus Predator (1999 video game)|Aliens versus Predator]]'' (1999 video game)
*''[[Aliens vs. Predator (2010)|Aliens vs. Predator]]'' (video game)
+
*''[[Aliens versus Predator 2]]''
*''[[Aliens: Berserker (comic)|Aliens: Berserker comic]]''/''[[Aliens: Berserker|novel]]''
+
*''[[Aliens versus Predator 2: Primal Hunt]]''
 
*{{AVP2010}} (2010 video game)
*''[[Aliens vs. Predator: War (comic)|Aliens vs. Predator: War comic ]]''/''[[Aliens vs. Predator: War (Novel)|novel]]''
 
 
*''[[Aliens: Frenzy]]''/''[[Aliens: Berserker (novel)|novel]]''
 
*''[[Aliens vs. Predator: War]]''/''[[Aliens vs. Predator: War (novel)|novel]]''
  +
*''[[Aliens: Original Sin]]'' {{Mention}}
 
*''[[Alien vs. Predator: Sand Trap]]''
 
*''[[Alien vs. Predator: Sand Trap]]''
  +
*''[[Aliens: Criminal Enterprise]]'' {{Mention}}
*{{ACM}} (video game)
 
  +
*''[[Aliens: No Exit]]''
  +
*''[[Alien: Out of the Shadows]]'' {{Mention}}
  +
*''[[Alien: Sea of Sorrows]]''
  +
*''[[Prometheus: Fire and Stone]]''
  +
*{{AI}}/''[[Alien: Isolation - The Digital Series|series]]''
  +
*''[[Alien: The Weyland-Yutani Report]]''
  +
*''[[Predator: Incursion]]''
  +
*''[[Alien: Invasion]]''
  +
*''[[Aliens: Defiance]]''
  +
*''[[Alien vs. Predator: Armageddon]]''
  +
*''[[The Last Supper]]''
  +
*''[[Meet Walter]]''
  +
*''[[Crew Messages]]''
  +
*''[[Reaper (short story)|Reaper]]'' {{Mention}}
  +
*''[[Broken]]'' {{Mention}}
  +
*''[[Blowback]]''
  +
*''[[Exterminators]]''
  +
*''[[Zero to Hero]]''
  +
*''[[Dark Mother]]''
  +
*''[[Deep Background]]''
  +
*''[[Deep Black]]'' {{Mention}}
  +
*''[[Distressed]]''
  +
*''[[Alien: Covenant in Utero]]''
  +
*''[[Aliens: Dead Orbit]]''
  +
*{{Pro2}}/{{Pro2N}}
  +
*''[[Phobos (short film)|Phobos]]''
  +
*''[[Advent (short film)|Advent]]''
  +
*''[[Alien: Covenant - Origins]]''
  +
*''[[Alien: The Cold Forge]]''
  +
*''[[Aliens: Dust to Dust]]''
  +
*''[[Alien: Containment]]''
  +
*''[[Alien: Echo]]''
  +
*''[[Alien: Night Shift]]''
  +
*''[[Alien: Ore]]''
  +
*''[[David's Lab: Last Signs of Life]]''
  +
*''[[Alien: Prototype]]'' {{Mention}}
  +
*''[[Aliens: Phalanx]]''
  +
*''[[Alien: Into Charybdis]]''
  +
*''[[Aliens: Infiltrator]]''
  +
*''[[Alien (comic series)|Alien]]'' (comic series)
  +
*''[[Better Luck to Borrow]]''
  +
*''[[Film School]]''
  +
*''[[Night Doctors]]''
  +
*''[[Aliens: Dark Descent]]''
  +
  +
===Non-canon===
  +
*{{ACM}}/{{ACMSI}} (video game)
  +
*''[[Alien 3: The Unproduced Screenplay (comic)|Alien 3: The Unproduced Screenplay]]''/''[[Alien III (audio drama)|audio drama]]
   
 
==Gallery==
 
==Gallery==
  +
===Notable members===
  +
<gallery widths="185">
  +
Ellen Ripley.png|[[Ellen Ripley]] (formerly)
  +
Ash.jpg|[[Ash]]
  +
Burke.png|[[Carter Burke]]
  +
Michael Weyland.png|[[Michael Bishop]]
  +
Company Man.png|[[Sora Matsushita]]
  +
Weyland-Yutani Coporation Logo.jpg|[[Hideo Yutani]]
  +
Karl Bishop Weyland.png|[[Karl Bishop Weyland]]
  +
H. G. Groves.png|Doctor [[H.G. Groves]]
  +
LevyClose.png|[[Rick Levy]] (formerly)
  +
Amanda Ripley Portrait.png|[[Amanda Ripley-McClaren]] (formerly)
  +
Nina Taylor.png|[[Nina Taylor]]
  +
Christopher Samuels.png|[[Christopher Samuels]]
  +
ASSelkirk.jpg|[[Selkirk]]
  +
ASalvationDea7.jpg|[[Dean]]
  +
Rsz psa08.jpg|[[Wascylewski]]
  +
Susan Welles.png|[[Susan Welles]]
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Kevin Fox.png|[[Kevin Fox]]
  +
AGabriel3.jpg|[[Gabriel Cruz]]
  +
ABTed2.jpg|[[Ted Reynolds]]
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AAYutani.jpg|[[Yutani (person)|Yutani]]
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</gallery>
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<gallery>
 
<gallery>
  +
Alien-anthology-20101027022210927-000.jpg|A screen from the 2010 ''[[Alien Anthology (box set)|Alien Anthology]]'' Blu-ray, listing the locations of main Weyland-Yutani offices.
1211100-bishop noscale.png|Karl Bishop Weyland, a Weyland-Yutani Executive.|link=Karl Bishop Weyland
 
MichaelBishopAlien3.PNG|Michael Weyland, a Weyland-Yutani Employee.|link=Michael Bishop
 
Comand.png|Combat Androids.|link=Combat Android
 
WYtrooper002.PNG|Weyland-Yutani Commando.|link=Weyland-Yutani Commando
 
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
   
 
==References==
 
==References==
<references/>
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<references />
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[[pl:Weyland-Yutani]]
[[Category:Organisations]]
 
[[Category:Companies and corporations]]
 
 
[[Category:Weyland-Yutani]]
 
[[Category:Weyland-Yutani]]
[[Category:Articles Needing Cleanup]]
 
[[Category:Aliens: Colonial Marines]]
 
 
[[Category:Aliens: Colonial Marines organisations]]
 
[[Category:Aliens: Colonial Marines organisations]]
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[[Category:Alien: Out of the Shadows organizations]]
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[[Category:Weapons manufacturers]]
 
[[Category:Antagonists]]
 
[[Category:Companies and corporations]]
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[[Category:Human organisations]]

Latest revision as of 17:53, 1 August 2023

"Building better worlds."
―Company slogan

Weyland-Yutani Corporation, often shortened to Weyland-Yutani and commonly referred to as Wey-Yu[1] or simply "The Company",[2][3] was a large British-Japanese[4] multinational conglomerate. It was founded in 2099 by the merger of Weyland Corp and Yutani Corporation.[5] Weyland-Yutani was primarily a technology supplier, manufacturing synthetics, starships and computers for a wide range of industrial and commercial clients, making them a household name.[6] The company also had numerous non-manufacturing interests; it possessed extensive assets in interplanetary shipping and transport, and operated human colonies outside the solar system through the Extrasolar Colonization Administration.[2] The company also held a seat on the review board of the Interstellar Commerce Commission,[7] which it owned, although the organization itself was ostensibly independent.[8] Weyland-Yutani's main offices were located in London, Tokyo, San Francisco, the Sea of Tranquility on Luna, and on Thedus.[9]

Weyland-Yutani is consistently portrayed as exhibiting the worst aspects of corporate profiteering, willing to sacrifice decency and life in the endless pursuit of monetary profits.[3][10] As such, it is a modern example of the longstanding trope of the evil mega-corporation in science fiction. In various portrayals within the Alien universe, Weyland-Yutani has its hands in all aspects of space colonization and research. The company has consistently driven its employees and agents to obtain a living sample of the species they designate Xenomorph XX121, often without regard for the lives of anyone involved in said attempts, so that the creatures may be exploited as biological weapons or otherwise for financial gain.[2] According to Weyland-Yutani employee Karl Bishop Weyland, one of the company's primary goals behind capturing the Xenomorphs and creating weapons out of their biology is to ensure humanity remains the elite species in the universe, and not just because of profits.[10]

History

Origins and growth

According to an entry in the Weyland-Yutani Report, Weyland-Yutani Corporation was formed when Weyland Corp absorbed Yutani Corporation in a hostile takeover in 2099.[5] This was however inaccurate, as it had actually been Yutani Corporation which had bought out Weyland Corp in a fierce bidding war, beating out other bidders like the Chinese Combine.[11] Following the merger, Weyland-Yutani opened with the largest share value ever recorded on the Systems Exchange.[5] The company would go on to buy out numerous other businesses, investing in almost every sector, and had a controlling stake in a vast number of diverse corporations. According to some, Weyland-Yutani owned "pretty much everything" by the 2150s.[12] Many of the companies wholly or partly owned by Weyland-Yutani continued to operate under their own brand, such as Kelland Mining Company.[12]

Other origin stories for the company have been given in other media, although these have now been rendered largely defunct by the production of Prometheus. Nonetheless, prominent references to Weyland-Yutani include:

  • The video game Predator: Concrete Jungle depicts an unnamed company run by a man identified only as Weyland buying out business rival Borgia Industries in 2030, thereby obtaining the rights to their advanced weaponry, which was in reality stolen Yautja technology. The same scene also features several agents from Yutani Corporation congratulating Weyland on his achievements.
  • In Alien vs. Predator, Charles Bishop Weyland is shown to be the founder of Weyland Industries, and heads an expedition to Antarctica that uncovers the relationship between the Predators and the Xenomorphs. AVP's Weyland Industries bears no connection to the Weyland Corp seen in Prometheus, and has essentially been rendered non-canon by the latter film.
  • In the finale of Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem, Colonel Stevens meets with a woman named Ms. Yutani, offering her a Predator Plasma Cannon recovered from the survivors of the explosion in Gunnison, Colorado.

Activities

From the start, even the lowliest of Weyland-Yutani's employees were aware of the corrupt nature of the conglomerate. It was common knowledge amongst the company's commercial haulage fleet that senior management routinely bribed and paid off inspectors rather than submit to thorough safety inspections and reviews of their vessels.[13]

Some time prior to 2122, Weyland-Yutani detected the signal being broadcast from the derelict on Acheron (LV-426), the middle moon of three orbiting the ringed planet Calpamos. While the language was unknown, the company succeeded in deciphering enough of the message to learn it was a warning regarding the Xenomorphs.[14] They subsequently dispatched the starfreighter USCSS Nostromo to investigate, without the crew's knowledge, leading to initial human contact with the Xenomorph, the death of all but one of the ship's crew and the loss of Nostromo itself.[15] The incident and the existence of the Xenomorph was subsequently covered up by those involved,[16] while the beacon was later deactivated by the crew of USCSS Anesidora, once again obscuring the deadly secret on the moon.

By 2137, Weyland-Yutani was heavily involved in the colonization of extrasolar planets and moons,[17] including the terraforming of suitable bodies with inhospitable atmospheres through the construction of Atmosphere Processing Plants.[2] Over its history, the company constructed and administrated numerous colonies across the galaxy, including Hadley's Hope – ironically established on LV-426, the very moon where Nostromo had encountered the deadly Xenomorph – and Freya's Prospect on BG-386.[10] Weyland-Yutani was also involved in non-civilian colonies, notably overseeing the Class C Work Correctional Unit and the associated industrial penal lead foundry on Fiorina "Fury" 161.[3] In November of 2137, the company learned of a new Xenomorph incident on Sevastopol Station, and promptly purchased the failing facility from its competitor Seegson in the hopes of again securing samples of the creature.[18] However, the station and all the creatures aboard were destroyed before the company could complete their goals.

As well as its colonization efforts, Weyland-Yutani also operated numerous research and development facilities throughout the galaxy, often pursuing top-secret research into illegal or dangerous fields, focusing in particular on the study of the Xenomorph species. Major Weyland-Yutani laboratories included installations on LV-1201[19] and BG-386,[10] and the Origin Facility on LV-426.[1] These labs often operated under particularly amoral conditions, especially where Xenomorph research was concerned; humans were frequently used as unwilling hosts for the creatures, while some teams were even known to deliberately sacrifice low-level employees as live prey in Xenomorph tests.[10] On BG-386, inhabitants from the planet's civilian colony were apparently abducted for use in research, often under the pretence of being "promoted" to a new position elsewhere on the planet.[10]

Despite tight security, typically enforced by Weyland-Yutani's combat androids, these research facilities were notorious for their containment failures and outbreaks, events that usually led to huge loss of life amongst staff (and any civilians unlucky enough to be caught in harm's way) and the involvement of the United States Colonial Marine Corps.

Collapse and re-emergence

By the 2290s, Weyland-Yutani began experiencing serious financial and political pressures. Its colony at Nu Indi successfully sued for independence, effectively removing itself from the company's influence. Two years later, the company lost out to rival conglomerate Ridton on a contract to supply the United Systems Military (USM) with FTL drives, severely affecting the company's financial performance.[20] Finally, in 2349, megacorporations such as Weyland-Yutani were outlawed altogether; the company appealed, but after three years of costly litigation the ban was upheld and Weyland-Yutani formally folded.[5]

However, even during this time, agents of Weyland-Yutani continued to operate in secrecy. The company utilized contacts within the USM who passed them information about their various research projects.[21] Following the crash of USM Auriga on Earth, Weyland-Yutani seized upon much of the information the USM had collected about the Xenomorphs, incorporating it into Alien: The Weyland-Yutani Report, an extensive report on the species and humanity's historical encounters with it. Following the fall of the USM, Weyland-Yutani eventually re-emerged as a powerful multinational corporation, a resurgence partly fuelled by the company's role in cleaning up the heavily polluted and damaged Earth, and the corresponding surge in public approval and support that went with it.[22]

Buying the USCM

The Yautja Incursions

The Rage War

Divisions

Bio-Weapons Division

"When they first heard about this thing, it was crew expendable. The next time they sent in Marines; they were expendable too. What makes you think they're gonna care about a bunch of lifers who found God at the ass-end of space? You really think they're going to let you interfere with their plans for this thing? They think we're crud, and they don't give a fuck about one friend of yours that's died. Not one."
Ripley to the inmates on Fiorina 161, regarding Weyland-Yutani's Xenomorph capture ethics (from Alien3)

Weyland-Yutani's Bio-Weapons Division was a special department that dealt with the research and development of biological and viral weapons. One of their primary goals was to obtain a viable specimen of the species Xenomorph XX121, whether it be in the form of a Facehugger, a Chestburster or a mature adult; in some cases an immature Chestburster sample was considered preferable due to the ease with which one could be passed through quarantine undetected within their hosts.[2] Weyland-Yutani believed that biological self-replicating weapons such as the Xenomorph could form an ubiquitous component of distant force projection operations, which were otherwise vulnerable to unforeseen threats capable of exhausting traditional security personnel and ammunition stores that were not be easily replenished across the vast distances of space.

WY Bioweapons Division

Weyland-Yutani Bio-Weapons Division personnel during a Xenomorph retrieval mission.

The company's attempts to obtain Xenomorphs frequently involved subterfuge and the sacrifice of human life. Ellen Ripley inevitably became a major enemy of the Bio-Weapons Division after surviving the company's first attempt to capture a live Xenomorph aboard USCSS Nostromo. She would subsequently uncover (and defeat) numerous other attempts made by the company in this regard. Following Weyland-Yutani's collapse, much of the Bio-Weapons Division's work was appropriated and continued by the USM. Their own research would later fall foul of Ripley 8, a clone of the original Ellen Ripley.

Reverse-Engineering Division

The Reverse-Engineering Division was mainly focused on the study and implementation of recovered Yautja technology. The department was largely built upon the work carried out by Borgia Industries[23] and the Yutani Corporation,[24] both of which were incorporated into Weyland-Yutani through business mergers (with the Yutani Corporation being a major partner and partial originator of the company's name).

As with the company's Bio-Weapons Division, Weyland-Yutani's reverse-engineering projects were generally run with little regard for morals, although owing to the research being based primarily on the study of appropriated technology, the scope for appalling breaches of human rights was less open. Even so, the division ruthlessly captured and exploited alien tech, stealing Predator and Engineer technology with little thought as to how the species that created it may react. As a result, the company often ran afoul of the Yautja, who were fiercely protective of their advanced technology and considered the slaughter of any who would attempt to steal it a cultural necessity.[10]

Special Services Division

Little is truly known about Weyland-Yutani's Special Services Division, with the only confirmed contact being through employee Carter Burke, who acted as Special Projects Director within the department.[2] However, it is thought to be an umbrella division that oversaw and managed various other aspects of the company's research programs.

Weapons manufacture

Apart from the company's bio-weapons projects, Weyland-Yutani was also heavily involved in the manufacture of conventional and other weaponry, and was a major supplier for the United States Colonial Marine Corps.[10] Weyland-Yutani products various firearms as well as specialized ammunition for specific circumstances.

Pistols

Machine Pistols

Submachine Guns

Assault Rifles

Dedicated Marksman Rifles

Sniper Rifles

Shotguns

Grenade Launchers

Machine Guns

Machine Guns

Railguns

Sentry Guns

Flamethrowers (mechanical incendiary devices)

Energy Weapons

Firearm sights, suppressors, stocks and modifications

Ammunition

Cyborgs

Other divisions

Weyland-Yutani held numerous other divisions of interest, most notably a large stake in interplanetary cargo transport.[15] It also operated departments focussed on media and manufacturing, and worked in close conjunction with the Extrasolar Colonization Administration. Weyland-Yutani's terraforming efforts were frequently portrayed as being benevolent in nature, but almost always carried a hidden agenda, or at least a substantial profit margin for the company. Weyland-Yutani also manufactured Aspen Beer in the early 22nd century. Yet another notable division was the Meridian car marque, which specialised in providing vehicles for colonial markets.

Relationship to the USCM

Weyland-Yutani has influence over the United States Colonial Marine Corps.[6] Weyland-Yutani employee Karl Bishop Weyland alluded that the corporation may have played a massive part in the actual formation of the USCM, stating that he and the Corps were "old friends" and that it was effectively just another "corporate asset".[10] Regardless of the truth in these statements, Weyland-Yutani did manufacture many of the Corps' weapons and vehicles, particularly their large spacecraft, including the Conestoga-class vessels. USCM equipment, including vehicles and firearms, were often used by Weyland-Yutani themselves.[3]

Weyland-Yutani frequently oversaw the deployment of USCM forces in operations where it held a significant stake, including the initial mission to investigate Hadley's Hope. While Weyland-Yutani may not have had actual ownership of the Corps itself, the company at least partially financed the Corps, essentially allowing them to make the Corps available for their own personal use.

Behind the Scenes

Weyland-YutaniOriginalLogo

The original logo for "Weylan-Yutani" in Alien.

WeyYu

The updated version of this logo (now Weyland-Yutani) in Alien: Covenant.

The company's original name was "Weylan-Yutani", briefly seen on a monitor and Aspen Beer can in the film Alien; this name was created by Ron Cobb, one of the designers of the Nostromo and its crew's uniforms. In the film, the company's logo consisted of a winged sun emblem, based on Egyptian architecture. The original Weylan-Yutani name was also used by James Cameron in his initial treatment for a sequel to Alien, and later reappeared in David Twohy's unproduced script for Alien3.

"One of the things I enjoyed most about Alien was its subtle satirical content. Science fiction films offer golden opportunities to throw in little scraps of information that suggest enormous changes in the world. There's a certain potency in those kinds of remarks. Weylan Yutani for instance is almost a joke, but not quite. I wanted to imply that poor old England is back on its feet and has united with the Japanese, who have taken over the building of spaceships the same way they have now with cars and supertankers. In coming up with a strange company name I thought of British Leyland and Toyota, but we couldn't use "Leyland-Toyota" in the film. Changing one letter gave me "Weylan", and "Yutani" was a Japanese neighbor of mine."
―Ron Cobb on conceptualizing Weylan-Yutani

When Cameron was assigned to write and direct Aliens, the role and significance of the company increased greatly. Cameron eventually added a "d" to the first part of the company's name, and also scrapped the original winged sun emblem, replacing it instead with a new corporo-industrial interlocked W/Y logo of his own design. This logo can be viewed in various places throughout the movie, most obviously in the extended Special Edition, where it is seen on crates and the front of a child's tricycle at the Hadley's Hope colony before the Xenomorph outbreak.[25] Cameron has gone on record as saying that the way in which Burke accompanies the Colonial Marines on their mission to LV-426 was supposed to invoke the conspiracy of America's involvement in Vietnam being for purely corporate interests. The prominent use of the company in the film propelled it to being an indispensable element of the Alien universe.

In Alien3, Weyland-Yutani's logo appears on the furnaces at the Fiorina 161 Class C Work Correctional Unit, and can also be seen stenciled across the shirts, prison jackets and caps worn by various characters in the film, including Ellen Ripley. It is also seen on screen several times written in Japanese; it appears on a box of supplies as ウェイランド湯谷. The first six Kana of this are part of the Japanese syllabary Katakana which is used to spell foreign words, and here they spell weirando (Weyland). The second part is the Japanese name Yutani written with two kanji, which literally means "hot-water valley" in English. The corporation's name also appears in a newspaper headline where the last four kanji (株式会社) read kabushiki gaisha which means "joint-stock corporation".

Trivia

  • While James Cameron cemented Weyland-Yutani as an integral part of the Alien franchise with Aliens, ironically his initial treatment for the film stated that the company had in fact been bought out by another, unnamed conglomerate prior to the events of the movie, and that Weyland-Yutani no longer existed.[26]
  • Despite the fact that the company is portrayed as almost entirely ruthless, they appear to let Robert Morse live at the end of Alien3, even though he is a witness to the events on Fiorina 161 and what the company attempted to do there. Since Morse is a convict, it is possible the company simply rationalised people would be unlikely to believe anything he could say to damage them. The novelization of Alien Resurrection reveals that Morse later wrote a book about the Fiorina 161 incident, but it was banned.[27]
  • In Peter Briggs' unproduced Alien vs. Predator script, titled The Hunt: Alien vs. Predator, a "Yutani-Templin" company is mentioned, implying that the Yutani Corporation was involved in other corporate mergers in addition to its merger with Weyland-Yutani, and that these other conglomerates are still in operation. However, the exact nature of the company is never elaborated upon, and the script was never produced.
  • Supplemental materials on the Prometheus Blu-ray suggest the Tyrell Corporation from Ridley Scott's film Blade Runner is one of Weyland-Yutani's competitors.[28] Fans have often theorized that Blade Runner may be set in the same universe as Alien owing to the two films' similar style and design, but this oblique reference remains the only suggestion of such a link in official media (furthermore, the information on the Blu-ray seems to be more of an Easter Egg than hard fact).
  • The corporate/military collaboration in pursuit and protection of commerce isn't unprecedented, dating back to the 16th century Dutch Empire's West Indies Trading Companies explicit charter to colonize territories using the Dutch Navy. James Cameron referenced this historical model in the Aliens directors commentary as the basis of the Weyland-Yutani/USCM relationship.
  • In 2013, multinational professional services firm Ernst & Young rebranded their corporate slogan to "Building a better working world"; the similarity to Weyland-Yutani's slogan is likely just a coincidence.
  • Weyland-Yutani is, along with the iconic Chestburster scene, one of the most heavily referenced aspects of the Alien franchise, having been featured or alluded to in several other films and television series since Aliens:
    • In the 2002 pilot episode of Firefly, Mal Reynolds is seen using a machine gun turret in a flashback sequence, and at the top of the turret's targeting system, the Weyland-Yutani logo can be seen. Firefly was created by Alien Resurrection writer Joss Whedon.
    • In the 2004 episode "Harm's Way" of Angel, Weyland-Yutani is revealed to be a client of evil interdimensional law firm Wolfram & Hart. Angel was also co-created by Whedon.
    • In the "Sniper" series of novels by Alan D. Altieri, a prominent villain to hero Russel Kane is a megacorporation known as Gottschalk-Yutani, which fills a similar role to Weyland-Yutani in the Alien franchise.
    • The 2009 film Avatar (directed by James Cameron) features a corporation known as the RDA, which at one point is referred to as "the Company", similarly to Weyland-Yutani. The two corporations bear notable similarities beyond this nickname, including resource-mongering and a lack of ethical concerns.
    • In the 2010 episode "We Can't Win" of the television series remake V, Weyland-Yutani is seen written on a name plate at a presentation of alien technology to various companies on Earth.
    • In the 2010 film The Rig, the company that owns the titular oil rig is called Weyland Drilling Corp, in reference to the Alien series. The company also uses a similar logo. Both Alien and The Rig deal with a small group of blue-collar workers trapped in a restricted space being stalked by a voracious killer monster.
    • During the first season of the Discovery Channel documentary series Extreme Engineering, an oil tanker is seen in the CGI segments of some episodes with the name Weyland-Yutani on the hull.
    • In the 2016 animated reconstruction of the 1966 Doctor Who serial "The Power of the Daleks", the Weyland-Yutani logo can be seen on a communications device in the governor's office. Also, in the serial "Paradise Towers" (1987) there were old, repainted barrels that clearly showed the remnants of the Weyland-Yutani logo
  • Despite the can in Alien naming the company as "Weylan Yutani", the LaserDisc release of Alien says "Also notice another prop that is seen only discreetly in the film: a can of beer manufactured by the other-wise unnamed "Company" that employs the Nostromo crew - "Weyland- Yutani.[sic]" and "Ripley enjoys a can of Weyland-Yutani Beer".

Appearances

Non-canon

Gallery

Notable members

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Aliens: Colonial Marines, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 version, Gearbox Software, 2013.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 James Cameron (writer and director). Aliens (1986), 20th Century Fox [DVD].
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Vincent Ward (writer), David Fincher (director). Alien3 (1992), 20th Century Fox [DVD].
  4. "Strange Shapes - Space, 2122 – 2179". Retrieved on 2013-05-10.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 S. D. Perry. Alien: The Weyland-Yutani Report, p. 8 (2014), Insight Editions.
  6. 6.0 6.1 BradyGames. Aliens: Colonial Marines Official Strategy Guide, p. 40 (2013), Dorling Kindersley.
  7. Andrew E. C. Gaska. Alien: The Roleplaying Game, p. 238 (2019), Free League Publishing.
  8. Andrew E. C. Gaska. Alien: The Roleplaying Game, p. 235 (2019), Free League Publishing.
  9. Alien Anthology Blu-ray menus
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.7 10.8 Aliens vs. Predator, Microsoft Windows version, Rebellion, 2010.
  11. Alien: Covenant - Origins
  12. 12.0 12.1 Tim Lebbon. Alien: Out of the Shadows, p. 50 (2014), Titan Books.
  13. Alan Dean Foster. Alien, p. 208 (2014), Titan Books.
  14. Alan Dean Foster. Alien, p. 201 (2014), Titan Books.
  15. 15.0 15.1 Dan O'Bannon, Ronald Shusett (writers), Ridley Scott (director). Alien (1979), 20th Century Fox [DVD].
  16. Alien: Isolation - Archive Log 002 - RE: Nostromo Incident
  17. Alien: Isolation - Archive Log 075 - An Outpost of Progress? #4
  18. Alien: Isolation - Archive Log 120 - Sold!
  19. Aliens versus Predator 2, Microsoft Windows version, Monolith Productions, 2001.
  20. S. D. Perry. Alien: The Weyland-Yutani Report, p. 9 (2014), Insight Editions.
  21. S. D. Perry. Alien: The Weyland-Yutani Report, p. 157 (2014), Insight Editions.
  22. James A. Moore. Alien: Sea of Sorrows, p. 39 (2014), Titan Books.
  23. Predator: Concrete Jungle, PlayStation 2, Xbox version, Eurocom, 2005.
  24. Shane Salerno (writer), The Brothers Strause (directors). Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007), 20th Century Fox [DVD].
  25. James Cameron (writer and director). Aliens Special Edition (1991), 20th Century Fox [LaserDisc].
  26. Alien II treatment (September 21, 1983) by David Giler, Walter Hill and James Cameron
  27. A. C. Crispin, Kathleen O'Malley. Alien Resurrection, p. 115 (2015), Titan Books.