If it has to happen, at least it’s happening with this team.
Variety reports that John Carpenter and Blumhouse Productions are planning a reboot of the 1982 horror classic The Thing. Apparently talks are underway but not much else is: no team is currently attached to the project. We don’t even know if it’ll be a remake or a reboot or a sequel. We know next to nothing at this time, just that it seems to be happening.
If Blumhouse and Carpenter go through with these plans, they’ll be rebooting a truly cherished motion picture. Though the movie was never a box office hit, The Thing has proven itself to be one of the greatest horror films ever made. Carpenter’s movie contained terrific characters, serious chills and horror that stands the test of time. It’s still a master class of tension, mood and practically everything a horror film aspires to be. One of the best? No, it might just be the best horror film.
Obviously any news of a Thing reboot/remake/whatever will ruffle the feathers of Carpenter fans, like yours truly. Luckily it sounds like Carpenter is fully on board with the production and will be involved in some capacity. I imagine he will be a producer and possibly the musician behind the score. For the most part, he has been pretty chill and hands-off to the idea of remakes of this films. Carpenter seems like a guy who just goes with the flow, especially when it comes to the workings of Hollywood.
Blumhouse Productions take horror seriously and are becoming a pretty formable force in the movie industry. They’ve racked up quite a few hits lately — most of them good. So I am hopeful that they will treat The Thing with the respect it deserves. If they screw this up, they will have many a-horror fanatics calling for their demise. The Thing is almost sacred to movie aficionados. With good reason too: it’s a damn classic.