If The Thing 2 finally moves ahead, it can fix one of the biggest mistakes in the franchise. It's fascinating to contrast the reception John Carpenter's The Thing received upon release to its current status. The film remade the classic sci-fi chiller The Thing From Another World, but critics lambasted Carpenter's version for its "gross-out" special effects and unrelenting bleakness. The film was also greeted with lackluster box office, but in the years that followed, repeat viewings on TV and VHS led to being wholly reappraised as one of the best horror movies ever.
The Thing's ending left the story's two survivors MacReady (Kurt Russell) and Childs (Keith David) sitting among the ruins of their destroyed Antarctic camp, unsure of whether one of them is an imitation. This isn't the kind of closing scene that promises a sequel, and The Thing's poor box office seemed to rule one out. That said, Carpenter warmed to the idea in later years, claiming that a 1991 Dark Horse comic sequel - which picked up from the movie's ending - is the story he would have used. In a recent Texas Frightmare Weekend Q&A (via /Film), Carpenter implied The Thing 2 might finally be happening.
John Carpenter's The Thing 2 Can Fix The 2011 Prequel
The 2000s saw a seemingly never-ending run of classic horror titles being remade, from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre to Dawn Of The Dead and even The Hitcher. While not technically a remake, 2011's The Thing very much functions as one. The film is framed as a prequel, which recounts what happened at the Norwegian camp seen in ruins in the original. The Thing 2011, ironically, proved to be a pale imitation of John Carpenter's movie, lacking the tension, intelligence and practical effects of its forebearer. Tragically, The Thing 2011 actually was shot with some incredible practical effects, but Universal later ordered them covered up with inferior CGI.
The Thing 2011 isn't a total disaster and is aided by a good cast and inventive tweaks on the titular monster's biology. It fares poorly next to the 1982 movie, however, but The Thing 2 can finally take its place. While Carpenter claims to be "sworn to secrecy" about The Thing 2, it appears to be the same project that Blumhouse was said to be working on back in 2020. This was said to feature material from the expanded version of the original short story The Thing was based upon, Frozen Hell. This proposed sequel will have an element the 2011 version didn't: John Carpenter's involvement.
Why The Thing Prequel Needs To Be Fixed
The Thing 2011 had numerous behind-the-scenes issues that spoiled what could have been a fun creature feature. For younger viewers, it might also be the vision that first springs to mind when they hear about The Thing. Assuming The Thing 2 really is a direct sequel and not a reboot, it has the opportunity to reclaim and undo the mistakes of the prequel. It would likely ignore the events of The Thing 2011 - which is easy to do - and explore what happened to Childs and MacReady after the credits rolled.
Carpenter himself hasn't directed a film since 2010s The Ward, so having him back behind the lens of The Thing 2 would be the ideal outcome too. The Thing itself is one of cinema's most underrated monsters, and it feels like the timing has never been better for a horror movie to explore the themes of mistrust and paranoia.
Source: /Film
