In 1982, Universal unleashed unto the world a film about a visitor from another world that made us think about who and what it means to be human.
No, I’m not talking about E.T. here, I am talking about the OTHER film that year about aliens – John Carpenter’s The Thing.
Based on the short story ‘Who Goes There?” and the 1950’s Haward Hawks classic “The Thing From Another World”, Carpenter’s film was a box office dud that many fans have embraced and uplifted to cult status in the years since it’s release.
Almost 30 years later (!), Universal are about to give us another, updated look at the titular ‘Thing” – this time courtesy of Director Matthis van Heijningen Jr., who states that this new version references Carpenter’s film enough to make the fans satisfied – we’ll see.
Starring Joel Edgerton (The Phantom Menace), Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Scott Pilgrim vs. The World), the new movie is a prequel to the 1982 film and takes place in the Norwegian base as seen at the beginning of Carpenter’s film.
With the 1982 being so reviled by fans and being one of the best examples of practical effects on film, I hope that the filmmakers haven’t bit off more than they can chew.
The release date for the U.S. is for 29th April 2011.
Below is the trailer of John Carpenter’s The Thing
