John Carpenter Hints At Return To Filmmaking With A Sequel To ‘The Thing’: “We’re Working On It Now”

Who wouldn’t want to visit the follow-up to the classic 1982 Antarctic-set alien carnage horror film The Thing? It could be to settle the debate over the ambiguous ending (I prefer to let it be), or maybe to see what happens next. Either way, it’s an exciting proposition.

via: The Playlist

Carpenter told an audience at FAN EXPO Philadelphia back in May that he’s quietly at work readying a sequel to one of his most revered movies. “We’re working on it now,” the director said about a follow-up to his 1982 film, “The Thing.” “I don’t know. We’ll see.”

A sequel to “The Thing,” forty-three years after that movie’s release? Stranger things have happened, but it doesn’t make a lot of sense. Despite its high reputation nowadays, Carpenter’s original movie was a critical and commercial bomb for the director and Universal upon its theatrical release. Add in the fact that members of the picture’s ensemble cast, including leading man Kurt Russell, are now all old, retired, or deceased, and one wonders what Carpenter has in mind. Then there’s the 2011 prequel to Carpenter’s movie, also named “The Thing.” That film came and went without much fanfare, with critics merely shrugging at its existence. Carpenter’s film may have garnered reappraisal, but that movie certainly won’t.

Still, Carpenter’s fan base remains steadfast decades after his heyday, with a new generation embracing his classic works, such as “Halloween,” “Escape From New York,” and “They Live.” It’s funny: almost none of his movies were successful upon release, but now he’s frequently cited by fellow filmmakers as a major influence. Without Carpenter, there would be no Robert Eggers, Jordan Peele, Jeremy Saulnier, Nicolas Winding Refn, among others. So the prospect of Carpenter returning to the director’s chair is an exciting one, even if 2010’s “The Ward,” his last feature (and, let’s face it, most of what he’s made since “They Live”), isn’t of very high quality.

Set at an Antarctic research base, “The Thing” follows a research team that encounters a shape-shifting alien unearthed from the ice that replicates living organisms perfectly, leading to a tense, paranoid fight for survival. Dismissed upon its original release, Carpenter’s direction, the film’s excellent ensemble, and Rob Bottin‘s practical effects make it one of the best horror films ever made. The film’s ending suggests that neither Russell’s MacReady nor Keith David‘s Childs will be back this time around, so perhaps Carpenter envisions a new research team stumbling upon the movie’s alien life form, or something more ambitious.

Is “The Thing 2” a sure thing? As per Carpenter’s comments, no, and given JC’s curmudgeonly stance about returning to movies, it’s best to take his words with a grain of salt. But a new film by him would be cause for celebration for genre fans everywhere. When he’s at his best, there’s nothing quite like a movie directed by John Carpenter, and that makes the prospect of a new movie by him very exciting.

The official FAN EXPO YouTube channel posted that exchange from May with Carpenter last month, which you can view below.