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John Carpenter's The Thing wasn't a success at the box office when it premiered in 1982, the same weekend as Ridley Scott's Blade Runner, not even making back its budget after four weeks of theatrical release. Over the years, however, the movie has become a classic among horror and sci-fi fans, a movie so beholden that when it was announced that a prequel to the movie was in the works with a script by Battlestar Galactica reboot creator Ronald D. Moore (later rewritten by Eric Heisserer) and directed by newcomer Matthijs van Heijningen Jr., the news was met with equal doses of cautious excitement and fear. What eased fans worries was that the movie was not a remake, but rather focused on the Norwegian research team that initially unearths the alien creature, the aftermath of which is briefly depicted in The Thing.
There's still the question of the untested van Heijningen, who's handling a beloved classic movie. In an interview with Collider, the Dutch director explained how he got involved with a prequel to a movie made 28 years prior.
more from van Heijningen Jr. on the story and cast >> Posted 10.05.10 by Ryan -
A prequel to John Carpenter's The Thing is currently shooting in Toronto from a script by Battlestar Galactica writer Ronald D. Moore and directed by newcomer Matthijs van Heijningen Jr., and a few details about the movie are finally coming out. Australian actor Joel Edgerton (Smokin' Aces), who plays a helicopter pilot counterpoint to Kurt Russell's character of R.J. MacReady from the 1982 original, told Collider a few details about the movie that ought to please some die-hard horror fans who may find any meddling with Carpenter's classic to be sacrilege.
keep reading >> Posted 04.08.10 by Ryan -
Despite its meager box-office take, John Carpenter's The Thing began to develop a strong cult following after its release on home video. The popularity of the movie eventually spawned a novelization, several comic book miniseries, and a video game "sequel." With a pop culture presence spanning nearly 30 years, it's no wonder that Universal Pictures finally decided to bring the property back to the big screen.
Universal first announced the news that a new The Thing movie was in development in January of last year, with Matthijs van Heijningen Jr. directing from a script by Ronald D. Moore. It was later revealed by Moore that his draft of The Thing was "not a remake" of Carpenter's movie, but a "companion piece" that takes place before the events in the 1982 movie. The prequel will focus on the Norwegian expedition team that first finds the buried spaceship in Antarctica and unwittingly unleashes the shape-shifting alien that R.J. MacReady (played by Kurt Russell) and company encounter in Carpenter's movie.
It was announced last month that The Thing prequel would go into production in Toronto in March and continue through June. Now, two of the stars have finally been revealed. According to THR, Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Live Free or Die Hard) will portray a Ph.D. candidate assigned to the Norwegian team after the discovery of the ship, and Joel Edgarton (Acolytes) will star as a rough-and-tumble helicopter pilot, reminiscent of Russell's MacReady. No other cast announcements have been made and there is no release date set at this time.
The Thing prequel will be the third movie based on the short story "Who Goes There?" by John W. Campbell, Jr., originally published in August 1938. The first adaptation, The Thing From Another World, was directed by Howard Hawks and debuted in theaters in 1951. While it was a less faithful adaptation of the source material than The Thing, Carpenter is a self-avowed fan of the movie and used scenes from it in Halloween. Carpenter even adopted the Norwegian expedition team that will be featured in the new prequel from Hawks' movie. In 1973, "Who Goes There?" was voted one of the finest science fiction novellas ever written by the Science Fiction Writers of America.
Posted 02.09.10 by BrentJS -
A prequel to John Carpenter's classic horror movie The Thing will head into production in March. Production Weekly announced the shoot date on its Twitter page.
Universal's prequel to John Carpenter's classic thriller The Thing, is due to begin filming March and continue till June in Toronto.
Newcomer director Matthijs van Heijningen Jr. will work from a script by Ronald D. Moore (creator of the rebooted Battlestar Galactica series) and Eric Heisserer (A Nightmare on Elm Street). The prequel is supposed to deal with the events before Carpenter's movie, which likely means it involves the initial Norwegian team that unearths the alien (that ultimately terrorizes Kurt Russell and the rest of the scientists of the Anatarctic outpost). No release date for the prequel has been announced.
Posted 01.04.10 by Ryan -
Halloween is the time of year when horror movies are dusted off, rented from a video store, or placed in the queue for some late-night, pitch-dark viewing. But there are scary movies and then there are scary movies.
Check out 13 Actually Scary Movies for the top choices if you're looking for a true fright this season.
Posted 10.20.09 by reelz -
It's not just that this is the year for film reboots and sequels. Empire Online is reporting that that Universal Studios will re-release five classic movies in theaters. On deck for the digital big-screen treatment are Stanley Kubrick's Spartacus starring Kirk Douglas (June 9), The Blues Brothers with Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi (July 28), Brian De Palma's Scarface with Al Pacino (August 25), Kurt Russell in John Carpenter's The Thing (September 15), and John Landis's Animal House (November 2).
Posted 05.11.09 by reelz