Blumhouse & Universal developing remake of The Thing based on original novel

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Even after all these years, John Carpenter's THE THING remains one of the very best science-fiction/horror movies of all-time, so it's only natural that Universal Pictures would return to the property. According to Bloody Disgusting, Universal is said to have teamed up with Blumhouse Productions for a new film based on "Frozen Hell," the recently uncovered expanded version of John W. Campbell Jr.'s novella "Who Goes There?", which was the basis for THE THING and its 1951 predecessor, THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD.

John W. Campbell Jr. originally published "Who Goes There?" for Astounding Science Fiction in 1938, but the story was actually an abridged version of a longer story, called "Frozen Hell," which was only recently discovered. Science fiction author John Betancourt created a Kickstarter to fund the release of the full-length novel, which "expands the Thing story dramatically, giving vital backstory and context to an already incredible tale." In an update on the Kickstarter page, Betancourt said, "Everyone is super excited about it, and it's being fast-tracked. This is just the tip of the iceberg of what's going on with Who Goes There?, Frozen Hell, and The Thing in Hollywood. I can't talk about the rest yet, but it's very exciting — and if all goes as planned, the Thing will be alive and well for quite a while." Executive producer Alan Donnes also commented on the project in a Facebook post last Friday.

It's OFFICIAL! I received my signed contract and first check! I am Executive Producing a remake of THE THING but with additional chapters of John Campbell's groundbreaking novel, Frozen Hell, that had been lost for decades. Now, for the first time ever, Campbell's full vision will be realized on the big screen. The new film will include the very best of RKO's THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD, John Carpenter's classic THE THING and both books, Frozen Hell and Who Goes There?

The last time that Universal Pictures tackled the saga of THE THING was the 2011 remake which masqueraded as a prequel, telling the story of the team of Norwegian and American scientists who discovered the parasitic alien who would go on to menace R.J. MacReady (Kurt Russell) and company in John Carpenter's movie. Blumhouse typically has a good track record with these types of remakes, and if they're able to do something different with the expanded original story, then this has the potential to wash away the stink of the last film.