Universal makes The Thing official
Director confirmed for the re-imagining
BY Jan 29th 2009 2:02AMFILED UNDER: Movie news
User Comments (5)
Following on from word earlier this month, Universal has put the official stamp on a new version of The Thing, signing up Matthijs Van Heijningen to direct a script penned by BSG’s Ron Moore.
As previously expected, the new film is going back to basics, borrowing heavily from John W Campbell’s short story Who Goes There?, which spawned both Howard Hawks’ The Thing From Another World And John Carpenter’s 1982 version.
Serving as a prequel to Carpenter's pic, Campbell’s story is set in a Norwegian research camp and follows the very first contact with the shapeshifting alien and its systematic destruction of the humans who live there.
There's no confirmation of Van Heijningen's idea - which we previously reported on - to have a link between a character in this film and Kurt Russell's. We're still hoping not.
While he's also attached to Zack Snyder's Army Of The Dead, Van Heijningen hasn’t directed any movies himself, but he’s an in-demand advert creator – check out one of his spots below.
While we’re sceptical that a new take can best Carpenter’s seminal chiller, we’re encouraged by the fact that the scriptwriter is the same man who made Battlestar Galactica into quality telly. Crossed tendrils, everyone...
[Source: Variety]
Do you want to see a new version of The Thing? What would you do differently? Comment on...
Print Comments (5)
1: ashley.russell says
No i do not want to see a new version of The Thing, the original is one of my favourite horror movies of all time and I just find it very unnecesary to update it.
Posted: Jan 29th 2009 // 10:28AMAlert a moderator
2: RaveyDaveyGravy says
Ive wanted to see a sequel for years, but a prequel will satisfy nicely thanks. I think its got loads of potential. I used to be dead against remakes but you know what, if its good, its good! And if its pants it will only make Carpenters version even better (like the recent Halloween remake)
Posted: Jan 29th 2009 // 1:01PMAlert a moderator
3: johnsandy says
In the mean time, while you're waiting for this, you could do worse than come and see The Nasty Sweet's version of The Thing at the Hen and Chickens theatre in London from the 3rd Feb. It's called The Thingumywotsit and it's, well, just silly and maybe a little bit scary
Posted: Jan 29th 2009 // 3:00PMAlert a moderator
4: ThrashGordon says
Yeah ok, lets see The Thing 2, wait tis coming to me..... How about a indy style adventure involving a Secret Nazi Gold horde and the Norwegian Olympic Skiing team, oh AND an unknown (alien) 3rd party with a hidden agenda...
Posted: Jan 29th 2009 // 3:40PMAlert a moderator
5: Ray Peterson says
They may write a good script, the director may even be decent, but then they'll probably fill it full of terrible CG (while all the while telling everybody that they're 'at the bleeding edge of technology'), before Universal tell them to cut out the nasty stuff so they can get it passed as a 12A (PG-13).
Although I'll be happy to be proved wrong on the latter two.
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