"The Thing" Prequel Script is Complete

[God of War]

Ronald D Moore ("Battlestar Galactica") spoke to Sci-Fi Wire about the upcoming "The Thing" prequel, stating that he already completed the script, which will be a companion piece to John Carpenter's 1982 film.

http://www.worstpreviews.com/images/headlines/headline11686.jpg

"I was working on 'The Thing. I finished.' I did my last draft a few weeks ago and turned it in," said Moore. "They seem happy. They have a director [Matthijs Van Heijningen] assigned, and we'll wait to see when and if they green-light it."

Moore explained why he wanted to make a companion piece to Carpenter's movie. "I started on the project with the feeling that Carpenter's version is just an amazing piece of work," he said. "It's a great film, and we really wanted to honor that version." He added: "We wanted a piece that would link up to [the Carpenter film] and not supplant it. So we didn't try to sort of completely reinvent what it was. We wanted a movie that would sort of live alongside it."

[U]POSSIBLE SPOILERS BELOW:

Plot: The prequel takes place from the Norwegian camps point of view. An American scientific expedition to the frozen wastes of the Antarctic is interrupted by a group of seemingly mad Norwegians pursuing and shooting a dog. The helicopter pursuing the dog crashes leaving no explanation for the chase. During the night, the dog mutates and attacks other dogs in the cage and members of the team that investigate. The team soon realize that an alien life-form with the ability to take over bodies is on the loose and they don't know who may already have been taken over.

LINK (http://www.worstpreviews.com/headline.php?id=12583&count=0)

[adamjohnson]

That is a dumb idea. That is a dumb stupid dumb idea.

[ToddRH]

What's the difference from the original?

[FireCaptain4]

I love Ronald D. Moore (mainly because I'm a huge Battlestar fan), but there's something very wrong here.

Either that synopsis is wrong or this is NOT a prequel because that's the exact same plot as John Carpenter's version. Let me guess, there just so happens to be a bad ass main character named R.J. MacCready?!

If is was actually a prequel or a "companion piece" as Moore would put it, I MIGHT be open to it. However, based on what has been reported (that synopsis), there's no point in trying to bullshit people-- it's a remake.

More importantly, this would be a remake of a remake.

I wonder if "Who Goes There?" is going to be the new "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" and we'll end up with like ten adaptations of the same story.

Whatever. JCs The Thing is my favorite horror flick ever and I'm not in support of a remake. Why not just adapt a flick straight from the short story and call it "Who Goes There?" There's still some stuff in there that hasn't been explored yet.

[BlownCamaro]

I think this is a bad idea if those spoilers are true.

[FilmJunkie1114]

this is a pointless remake; why subtract from the greatness of the John Carpenter original.

[adamjohnson]

What's the difference from the original?

Very little , plus we already know the films ending. The dog escapes into the wilderness, the helicopter pursues it to another encampment (the americans') their helicopter blows up, and Doc shoots the last remaining norwegian. Woopdeedoo.

We know every plot point of this movie from JCs film. They find the thing in the ice, they dig it up, they blow holes in the ice and discover the ship, it thaws out and starts attacking. I mean, christ, talk about an unnecessary movie.

[God of War]

If they must tamper with this franchise, then why don't they just make a sequel? That way, Kurt Russell and Keith David would/could star in it. One of them could be infected and they in turn end up at another camp or something, and then the whole thing (pun intended) starts all over again.

Prequel = Pfft :rolleyes:

[biff_debris]

While I think that this is probably not the brightest idea, I want to see what Moore has come up with, I was one of those guys who didn't think the new BSG would be worth a crap, either.

And I dunno what I'm gonna do with myself after Friday night.

[adamjohnson]

If they must tamper with this franchise, then why don't they just make a sequel? That way, Kurt Russell and Keith David would/could star in it. One of them could be infected and they in turn end up at another camp or something, and then the whole thing (pun intended) starts all over again.

Prequel = Pfft :rolleyes:

Which would ruin the ambiguity of Carpenter's film.

[God of War]

Which would ruin the ambiguity of Carpenter's film.
Exactly. And I agree. But whether you or me or anyone else for that matter agrees/diagrees, they are still going ahead with this project. It's just one of those things (pun intended) that nobody except the film makers have control over. I love Carpenter's vision, always have, always will. And I for one hate alot of remakes/reimaginings etc etc. It's like when we got the call on the Robocop and Totall Recall remakes. I was like "WTF?!" Once again, we have more great and cult classic films being anally raped for the sake of moviedom. I will go and see this new film if and when it's completed. But more out of curiosity and to pick the hell out of it. And that's all. So that's not to say that I will like it one little bit. Carpenter's 1982 version is firmly planted in my mind as the definitive ideal for this story. Even though it in itself is a remake of sorts of the orginal "Who Goes There." Even Howard Hawks movie about the thing from another world was a good piece of early sci-fi cinema. And I both that and the 1982 movie on dvd. Love them both.

As for my ideas in my last post, that was just ramblings on :D

[Hack]

So now i'm confused....is this a prequel at the Norwiegens camp or a remake at the Americans camp?

[Cop No. 633]

Sounds boring. So basically it'll be a sci-fi/horror without any of the suspense since we know the outcome? I guess this works for those who never heard or seen the last film. Not to mention all the CGI they'll load the film with. Another tool to help kill the suspense.

The only thing that bothers me more about remakes are people who complain about them and then PAY to see them. You know you're basically negating your stance on these films and are telling the studios that you want more of these films? I just always find it funny that the remake threads get a lot of hate but when it actually comes out, you'll see those people reviewing the film saying it's utter crap.

[FireCaptain4]

UPDATE!!!

Source (http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/17011)

… we caught up with Eric Heisserer, who is in the process of rewriting Ronald D. Moore's draft of The Thing (and also rewrote the reboot of A Nightmare on Elm Street), the forthcoming prequel/reboot that's being helmed by Matthijs van Heijningen Jr. In the interview he reveals who the main character could be, along with details on how they plan on referencing the original film in the new one - this is sure to make fans very happy. Read on and talk about it below, is this a film you're excited for?

Heisserer tells us that he is still working on his draft of THE THING, which he says could go into production as early as January of 2010.

“[I’m working on it] as we speak, that’s why I have my laptop here,” he tells us on the set of New Line Cinema's A Nightmare on Elm Street reboot back in July.

Some early rumors were that the prequel would follow the brother of R.J. MacReady, who was played by Kurt Russell in the first film.

“That was certainly a character in Ronald Moore’s draft,” he tells B-D. “I can’t comment on whether or not were going to keep that going forward.”

One of the best parts about making a prequel is that a writer gets to really dissect the first film in order to construct a backstory.

“It’s a really fascinating way to construct a story because were doing it by autopsy, by examining very, very closely everything we know about the Norwegian camp and about the events that happened there from photos and video footage that’s recovered,” he continues, “from a visit to the base, the director, producer and I have gone through it countless times marking, you know, there’s a fire axe in the door, we have to account for that…were having to reverse engineer it, so those details all matter to us ‘cause it all has to make sense.”

“We explain how it got there,” he continues referring to the axe, adding that he found a way to bring suspense back to the film. “We’re finding so much from Carpenter’s movie that you think you’ve seen, but in actually it allows us to come up with certain twists on what we have that will allow people to be on the edge of their seat, and not know who’s going to make it and who’s not.”

In the screenplay by Ronald D. Moore that Eric is rewriting, the prequel takes place from the Norwegian camps point of view. An American scientific expedition to the frozen wastes of the Antarctic is interrupted by a group of seemingly mad Norwegians pursuing and shooting a dog. The helicopter pursuing the dog crashes leaving no explanation for the chase. During the night, the dog mutates and attacks other dogs in the cage and members of the team that investigate. The team soon realizes that an alien life form with the ability to take over bodies is on the loose and they don't know who may already have been taken over.

[Hack]

So, I'm thinking no Kurt Russell?

[Jig Saw 123]

So, I'm thinking no Kurt Russell?

I wouldn't be surprised if they got him to make a cameo appearance.

[Hack]

Has anyone heard anything else about this or is it going to die soon

[God of War]

Yup.

http://www.worstpreviews.com/images/headlines/temp/temp2335.jpg

[Hack]

So this looks like a remake on the americans side now. when's it hitting us?

[Jmora715]

Lets hope it wont be shit.
Kurt needs to be CGI Cameo role just like Arnold in Termator Salvation.