The Thing - The Prequel

[_____V_____]

Originally Posted by ferretchucker

Please tell me that that synopsis was a joke. That can't be right!

Writer Ronald D. Moore told us the following about the project back in March -

"It's really a companion piece to the Carpenter version. We're telling the story of the Norwegian camp that found the Thing before the Kurt Russell group did, so it's very buried in the continuity [and] it's supposed to be the other story that you saw part of. So we didn't want to reinvent it. It was really much the opposite. We really wanted to have this flow seamlessly into what he did."

[Straker]

Can't say I am overly excited by the prospect of this film. Not sure a prequel is really required. One of the many great aspects of The Thing is the fact that you are essentially watching what happened to the Norwegians through the experiances of the US group. You don't really need a prequel to fill in the blanks. The only story to tell is the one you've already told. Can't say I like the idea of bringing MacReady's brother into the story either. Can't really see it making much sense without alot of unnecessary explanation.

I'll probably give it a watch all the same, just rather see an original take on the story than a rehash of a classic that was done exceptionally well. In that respect I'd rather see a remake than prequel, at least that way they have more freedom. Maybe they can blend elements of the original story/ film with Carpenter's version to make something work, the whole idea just doesn't sit right with me though, but I'd be happy to be proved wrong.

Ultimatley, I'd also much rather see Carpenter do the sequel that has been mentioned in the past, with Kurt Russell & Keith David reprising their roles.

[siorai]

Originally Posted by Straker

Ultimatley, I'd also much rather see Carpenter do the sequel that has been mentioned in the past, with Kurt Russell & Keith David reprising their roles.

That sounds even less appealing than a prequel. What's it going to be? 30 minutes of them freezing to death then roll credits? Plus Carpenter has sucked for over 20 years. The last good thing he did was They Live, back in 1988.

[horrorchic]

Anytime a sequel is made it seems to rock the boat of the traditionalist, but I would be interested to see how they change what happened with the US group and modify it to make it more interesting for the Norwegian group. Because if they do the "same" thing it would not be a sequel or a prequel but in fact a remake just with Norwegians. So they will need to figure out how to make this work to keep attention.

John Carpenter needs to step up and make this a challenge, and to be honest it's been awhile for him. So is he up to it?

[Straker]

Originally Posted by siorai

That sounds even less appealing than a prequel. What's it going to be? 30 minutes of them freezing to death then roll credits? Plus Carpenter has sucked for over 20 years. The last good thing he did was They Live, back in 1988.

I'd take a 30 minuite sequel of MacReady & Childs freezing to death over a prequel about the Norwegian camp. Might well work and I'd be glad to say I was wrong, I just don't think the prequel idea suits this film. I'd rather see a sequel or straight remake, personally.

[siorai]

Originally Posted by Straker

I'd take a 30 minuite sequel of MacReady & Childs freezing to death over a prequel about the Norwegian camp. Might well work and I'd be glad to say I was wrong, I just don't think the prequel idea suits this film. I'd rather see a sequel or straight remake, personally.

I'd rather see nothing. Most remakes/reboots can sometimes make sense. Better technology, the story can be fleshed out more, etc. I'm of the opinion that The Thing is 100% solid as is. A prequel or sequel would realistically just be more of the same. The Thing gets found in the ice. It thaws. Havok ensues, but maybe just in a different language. The prequel, if it meshes with The Thing will probably be much the same as The Thing. A research team finds the saucer and the thing. It gets thawed out. Bloody mayhem ensues. Screams in funny sounding Norwegian ring out across the tundra. Or more than likely the actors will all be American, speak English, but just have Norwegian flags on their gear. The only way to make a sequel different would be to pull a Jason Takes Manhattan and have the Thing get transported to an urban center. Would either scenario actually add anything to the story? Not really. The prequel has already been explained quite fully in the original movie. Sure it might be cool to see it as a movie, but we all know how it will end. Everyone dead at the camp with the lone two survivors chasing a wold across the snowfields. The sequel idea is just a cash grab as far as I'm concerned. It would entail shoehorning a storyline onto a story that was already completed and would probably be just as effective as Jason Takes Manhattan.

[Despare]

Originally Posted by siorai

A prequel or sequel would realistically just be more of the same.

I'll take it.

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Universal Pictures’ prequel to John Carpenter’s cult classic thriller The Thing is gearing up to begin shooing in Toronto in mid-March, and the studio has begun to announce the cast line-up.

Heat Vision has learned that Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Grindhouse, Scott Pilgrim) and Joel Edgerton (The Secret Life of Us, Kinky Boots) have been cast as the leads.

The screenplay, which was written by Ronald D. Moore, and rewritten by Eric Heisserer, tells the story of a shape-shifting alien terrorizes researchers at a Norwegian Antarctic facility. Here’s the logline:

In a remote Antarctica outpost, an alien spaceship is discovered far beneath the ice. When a group of ambitious scientists decide to thaw out one of the creatures inside, they’re in for the terrifying fight of their lives…

Winstead will play Kate Lloyd, who was described in the leaked casting breakdowns as follows:

pretty, bright-eyed, intelligent, she’s a graduate of Columbia and a Ph.D. candidate in paleontology (the study of prehistoric life). On the recommendation of her friend Adam Goodman, Kate is tapped for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity by Dr. Sander Halvorson to join his research team in Antarctica, where an extraordinary discovery has been made. Upon arrival, Kate soon finds herself at odds with Halvorson about how best to proceed with the discovery — an alien spaceship with a mysterious and sinister frozen THING found nearby — specifically whether to transfer the specimen undisturbed to a more appropriate facility for analysis, or, per Halvorson’s wishes, to drill into the specimen’s ice encasement for a definitive tissue sample.

Edgerton will play Sam Carter, a blue-collar mercenary helicopter pilot who Lloyd is forced to team with in an effort to stop the rampage. Here is his casting breakdown:

In his early 30s, rugged, handsome, blue-collar, he’s a helicopter pilot with a private charter service that transports personnel and supplies from McMurdo Station to remote research sites across Antarctica. Carter is a mercenary. He flies when he wants, where he wants, and he flies for one reason: money. But his resourcefulness, experience and get-it-done mentality make him indispensable.

And it seems as if there is a third lead character who has yet to be cast. Here is the breakdown:

[DR. SANDER HALVORSON] In his late 30s to early 50s, austere, scholarly and imperious, he’s a microbiologist from NYU who leads a science research team to Antarctica to help his old friend Edvard interpret and analyze an extraordinary discovery made beneath the ice. Sander, a brilliant scientist and a master of self-promotion, knows that his involvement in such an historic discovery will bring him fame and fortune. Blinded by ambition, he refuses to abandon the “project” even as the bodies pile up around him.

Matthijs Van Hejningen is set to direct.

[horrorsniped]

Oh my god! I Always thought of a prequel but didn't know it's in the works!

[milktoaste]

It'll be judged harshley from my camp I can guarantee it