John Carpenter Interested in a The Thing or Prince of Darkness Sequel

By Patrick Cavanaugh

The works of John Carpenter have inspired a number of different follow-up adventures, whether those films earned reboots, sequels, prequels, or reimaginings in other mediums, but the filmmaker himself doesn't often return to the worlds he creates, with one exception being the Escape from New York sequel Escape from L.A. Initially being a critical and financial disappointment, his 1982 film The Thing is often regarded as one of the best horror/sci-fi films of all time, with the director recently noting he'd still have an interest in returning to the world, or potentially telling another story connected to his 1987 film Prince of Darkness.

"Maybe The Thing. Maybe Prince of Darkness. I can see a little bit more of that. But we'll see. You never know in this business. You really don't," Carpenter shared with Fandom in regards to past films he'd be interested in reviving. As far as what a The Thing sequel could look like, Carpenter continued, "I just think there's another bit of a story to tell there, which I'm not going to tell you about. But there have been some discussions about The Thing and what we could do because, as far as we know, both those two main characters -- Childs [Keith David] and MacReady [Kurt Russell] -- are still alive. They were alive at the end of The Thing, so maybe they're still alive."

The Thing was an adaptation of the novella Who Goes There? by John Campbell, which had previously been adapted into the film The Thing from Another Planet. The story focuses on a group of researchers in Antarctica who encounter an otherworldly being that can replicate living things, forcing the team to try to find out who is really "the thing" before the creatures can escape to the rest of civilization.

Prince of Darkness similarly focuses on a group of researchers tasked with monitoring a cylinder of a mysterious liquid, which they come to discover is the embodiment of Satan. Carpenter pointed out how the cosmic nature of the film means there's limitless potential for a follow-up.

"It really wasn't a movie that had a resolution exactly," the filmmaker admitted. "And the subject matter… I mean, you can go any direction you want to. It's about [the idea that] the Creator of the universe is evil. So, I mean, it could be just a whole lot of fun. Plus, I secretly love that movie."  

Blumhouse is currently working on a new take on The Thing, which Carpenter might also have a hand in developing.

Would you like to see Carpenter develop a The Thing or Prince of Darkness follow-up? Let us know in the comments below or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!

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