The Thing: Everything We Know

Back to Antarctica for Universal's horror prequel

By George WalesAug 11th 2010
1

The idea came from the guys who remade Dawn Of The Dead...

Whilst every other Hollywood announcement seems to include the words “Remake” or “Reboot” these days, Universal’s plans to dust off much-loved horror classic The Thing has been an especially controversial one, particularly given the apparent cynicism behind the project.¬

Reeling from a string of commercial flops including The Wolfman and Green Zone, the studio approached production company Strike Entertainment with a list of potential projects to remake into a safe, commercial hit. The Thing was the title that apparently ticked all the boxes.

Strike’s Marc Abraham told the LA Times that, “Universal basically came to us and said, 'Everyone is remaking everything, what do we have that might be good?’”

Okay, so it’s an approach that hardly filled us with enthusiasm, but it’s old news that movie studios are always on the lookout for a safe bet. And Strike do at least have a decent track record when it comes to breathing new life into an old franchise.

Abraham and his production partner Eric Newman were the men behind Zack Snyder’s 2004 update of Dawn Of The Dead, a surprisingly non-crap remake that successfully amped up the gore-levels without losing any of the original’s claustrophobic charm.

And the pair are definitely setting the bar high when it comes to their expectations for The Thing. “One of our all-time favorite films is Ridley Scott's Alien, " said Abraham. “It's elegant, really scary and has characters that you care about. In a way, it's our model for this project, which gives us an opportunity to try to do something cool.”

Sounds like they can talk the talk, but is their version a remake, a reboot or what?

1 of 10

Try This...

Latest Reviews

Comments

    • snakeplissken

      Aug 11th 2010, 9:42

      Sam Carter? Derek Jameson? Am I missing something because they don't sound Norwegian.... Also, anybody who has seen the first movie will know that any prequel must end with 2 NORWEGIAN guys chasing a dog in a helicopter, and if they don't use the original actors, using CGI to make them look younger, I will be gutted.

      Alert a moderator

    • garyu2

      Aug 11th 2010, 17:21

      Urgh Jesus. Possibly the greatest horror movie ever made being tarnished by a prequel starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead (who will survive whilst sporting a nice piece of cleavage despite the conditions, I am betting). Plus you can bet the outstandings original special effects will be replaced by CGI and done in 3D, etc. Is it too late to pull the plug?

      Alert a moderator

    • Ichi1

      Aug 11th 2010, 19:35

      " Dawn Of The Dead, a surprisingly non-c**p remake that successfully amped up the gore-levels" Ramped up the gore levels? Have you even seen the original Dawn of the Dead?

      Alert a moderator

    • namedropper

      Aug 11th 2010, 20:54

      Hmmm I'd love this to be a winner but it does a touch of the "Predator v Aliens" about it.

      Alert a moderator

    • KerrAvon

      Aug 11th 2010, 21:39

      Snake's right where the hell are the Norwegian's on a Norwegian research station? As much as this would intrigue me I'd rather wait for Del Toro's At the Mountains of Madness which has the potential to be terrifying.

      Alert a moderator

    • chocolateleaky1

      Aug 12th 2010, 18:30

      They cannot be remaking the best sci fi/horror, it does not need it. The John Carpenter version is my all time favourite film!!

      Alert a moderator

Leave a comment