John Carpenter confirms Blumhouse is working on a reboot of The Thing

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

John Carpenter & Blumhouse Productions are in early development on a reboot of 1982's THE THING. The project is still in the early stages, and no other details have been ironed out as of now.

Carpenter revealed the news on a panel for the Fantasia International Film Festival. During the interview, Carpenter discussed finishing the score to HALLOWEEN KILLS, a sequel to the 2018 reboot of another Carpenter favorite. That film, produced by Blumhouse and directed by David Gordon Green, was recently pushed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Carpenter declined to reveal whether the project would be a prequel, sequel, or remake in regards to THE THING but it's likely a reboot. Carpenter had this to say about his involvement potentially with Blumhouse head Jason Blum on the project:

"I think he's gonna be working on The Thing…rebooting The Thing. I may be involved with that. Maybe. Down the road."
 

The core story of THE THING, which follows an Antarctic research team contending with a parasitic alien life form that can imitate other people, has been revisited a few times in Hollywood. It’s based on the 1938 novella “Who Goes There?” by John W. Campbell Jr. and the first go at it was a 1951 RKO Radio Pictures movie under the title THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD. Carpenter’s version, released in 1982, starred Kurt Russell and Keith David and was initially a critical and box office disappointment. The film’s grisly creature effects and tense story of the futility of paranoia eventually helped make it a cult sensation among horror fans, and it is widely regarded as one of Carpenter’s best films. In 2011, Universal released a prequel by the same title starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Joel Edgerton that was directed by Matthijs van Heijningen. The project was made without Carpenter’s creative involvement and it opened to mixed reviews and subdued box office.

Earlier this year it was announced that a big-screen adaptation of "Frozen Hell" was in the works. For those unaware, "Frozen Hell" is the recently unearthed expanded version of John W. Campbell Jr's novella "Who Goes There?", which served as the basis for Carpenter's THE THING. Though it was never released, the uncovered works were tracked down in 2018 by John Betancourt, and a Kickstarter campaign soon followed, collecting funds to have the novel published. Betancourt has since revealed that Blumhouse and Universal have fast-tracked production on a new adaptation of THE THING, which will utilize the entirety of "Frozen Hell." This is likely the project that Carpenter is referring to.

I'm on board with a reboot of the 1982 film if Carpenter is involved. Other than HALLOWEEN, it's Carpenter's masterpiece and if this has to be done, I'd like to see him have some kind of creative input. Are YOU all in for a reboot of THE THING or is it a film that simply should be left alone?