We’ve been talking about this project for awhile now on the Film Actually podcast. We (Josh and I) are both huge fans of John Carpenter’s 1982 film “The Thing” which in itself is a remake of the 1953 film “The Thing From Another World” directed by Christian Nyby and an uncredited Howard Hawks. Both films are based on John W. Campbell Jr.’s novella “Who Goes There?” published in 1938. John Carpenter’s version was much closer to the source material than the Nyby/Hawks version and, in my opinion, the superior film. When this version was announced we got very nervous, was it a remake of the remake or prequel to remake? My god this gets confusing.
Later Universal announced that the new film directed by Matthijs van Heijningen Jr. and starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Joel Edgerton and Ulrich Thomsen is in fact a prequel to the 1982 film. This film is supposed to tell the story about the Norwegian camp visited in the first film and the film will end where the 1982 film starts. Things get a little more complicated by the fact that the film is simply called “The Thing” and when you watch the trailer below you’ll notice that the film just looks like a remake of Carpenter’s film.
The film actually looks quite good and if it is a prequel it could be interesting. If the film is just a remake I think I am a little less interested. “The Thing” opens in Australia in October.
What did you think? Comment below.
