Back in 1982, John Carpenter decided to scare/gross the crap out of the world with The Thing, a story of an alien entity that could devour a life form and mimic its appearance. The alien proceeded to do horrible things to the residents of an Antarctic research base, as the inhabitants became increasingly paranoid and began to turn on each other. The film starred Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley and Keith David.
This new version will actually mark the third film based on the same source material. Carpenter’s The Thing followed the 1951 film The Thing From Another World, which itself was based on the 1938 novella, Who Goes There?, by John W. Campbell. Despite initially poor box office numbers, the 1982 film went on to gain a cult following and become a modern horror masterpiece. So naturally Hollywood has decided to make another one.
The new version of The Thing is actually a prequel and not a reboot, surprisingly. It stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, Grindhouse: Death Proof) as Dr. Kate Lloyd, an American paleontoligst who is brought to the Antarctic to help a Norwegian research group that recently discovered a crashed spaceship that is thousands—if not millions–of years old. Alien murder, paranoia and hijinks ensue.
The new film takes place immediately before the events of the 1982 movie. For those that don’t remember Carpenter’s film, it begins with a group of Norwegians in a helicopter frantically chasing a seemingly innocent dog across the ice. The dog runs to an American research station, and the Norwegians are destroyed in an effort to kill the alien. The new film will fill in the gaps of what happened before that.
The Thing is directed by Dutch filmmaker Matthijs van Heijningen Jr., and hits theaters on October 14.
(Warning: The following trailer may not be suitable for all ages)
