The Thing Director John Carpenter Can’t Talk About Blumhouse Reboot

Whenever horror fans are trying to justify the existence of an iconic film earning a remake, John Carpenter’s take on The Thing is often the go-to example of a film that is superior to its predecessor. While that film was largely underwhelming with audiences and critics upon initial reception, it has since gone on to be regarded as one of the best sci-fi/horror films of all time, which earned itself a reimagined prequel in 2011. Blumhouse Productions is now working on a new adaptation of the source material, the novella Who Goes There?, with Carpenter having previously hinting that he would be involved in this new adventure. Despite that involvement, he’s not offering any new input on the project’s status.

Carpenter shared back in 2020 that he might get involved in the project, so when ComicBook.com asked if there were any updates on the project, the filmmaker teased, “There are updates that I am not allowed to speak of. We’ll see, we shall see. Never say never in the movie business, never say never.”

Much like the 2011 film wasn’t a direct remake of previous stories, the upcoming take on The Thing is expected to also offer some new perspectives on the concept. 

Both Carpenter’s film and the 1951 The Thing from Another World were inspired by John Campbell’s novella, but in 2019, an extended version of the original transcript was published as the novel Frozen Hell. Given the success that Blumhouse has earned with their revival of the Halloween series, which saw them enlisting Carpenter to serve as a producer, the project is seemingly in good hands and could likely lead to Carpenter having his hand in the project in some capacity. However, the coronavirus pandemic has caused complications for the entire movie industry, with this new take on the material likely being one of the countless productions that has been put on indefinite hold.

As fans wait for updates on this project, they can revisit Carpenter’s Escape from L.A., which lands on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray on February 22nd.

Released in 1996, John Carpenter’s Escape from L.A. was the highly anticipated follow-up to the fan-favorite hit Escape from New York. Kurt Russell returns as anti-hero Snake Plissken, who is called upon to save the world from a doomsday device after a 9.6 quake levels most of Los Angeles. 

Stay tuned for details on the upcoming The Thing movie. Escape from L.A. hits 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray on February 22nd.

Are you hoping Carpenter plays a major part in this new adaptation? Let us know in the comments below or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!