Blumhouse Productions Developing ‘The Thing’ Reboot With John Carpenter

Variety reports that Blumhouse Productions is teaming up with veteran filmmaker John Carpenter to develop a reboot of Carpenter’s 1982 sci-fi horror classic “The Thing.”

Carpenter released this information while on a panel of the Fantasia International Film Festival talking about creating the score for “Halloween Kills” for Blumhouse. When asked about whether he had already discussed directing future projects for Blumhouse CEO Jason Blum, Carpenter had this to say:

“I have I don’t know about that. But we’ve talked about that—I think he’s going to be working on ‘The Thing,’ rebooting ‘The Thing.’ I’m involved with that, maybe. Down the road.”

When asked on the panel if Blumhouse’s adaptation of “The Thing” would be a reboot, a prequel, or a sequel, Carpenter coyly chose not to give an answer.

John Carpenter’s “The Thing” debuted in 1982 starring Kurt Russell and followed a group of workers at a scientific research station in Antarctica who uncover the wreckage of an alien spacecraft and find themselves beset by a deadly alien being that can assume the form of any organic creature it consumes. Thus, it becomes a terrifying “Whodunit” filled with blood and gore and body horror, complete with gruesome special effects as the men try to decide who amongst them at any given moment is “the Thing.”

Carpenter’s movie was itself a reboot of the 1951 black-and-white sci-fi horror film “The Thing from Another World,” itself further an adaptation of the 1938 science-fiction novella “Who Goes There?” by John W. Campbell, Jr. Although with each successive adaptation, the story changed more and more and became increasingly more original with each take.

A spiritual sequel to “The Thing” that worked effectively as a prequel was already released in 2011 by Universal Pictures, which starred Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Joel Edgerton, however Carpenter was not involved in the project.

It can safely be assumed that from Carpenter’s response that he will be hands-on with this reboot from Blumhouse. If he will not be directing, then one can safely assume that he will be onboard as an executive producer.

There have been no details about a filming or release date at this time.