"The Thing" Prequel Trailer Up

[The Cooler King]

I didn't see this posted yet; if it has, can the mods delete this with my apologies?

John Carpenter's "The Thing" is still one of the best horror/SF films ever made, even if audiences and critics didn't like it when it was first released. Now comes the remake/prequel, telling the story of the Norwegian camp found by MacReady and the others in the first film.

I don't necessarily think this story needs to be told, and the outcome is pretty much a given, but this doesn't look TOO bad.

[Stark]

Is it set in the 80s, or the 'present day'?

[The Cooler King]

Is it set in the 80s, or the 'present day'?

According to Wiki (I know, I know), it's supposed to be set just before the 1982 version. I read a while back (can't remember where) that this starts 3 days before the beginning of Carpenter's movie, so make of that what you will. From what I can see, it doesn't LOOK much like it's set in the 1980s, though.

[Stark]

Yeah, I was wondering if it's set 'before the first movie', in that the events lead into it, but not 'before the date of the first movie' in calender terms. In other words, it could simply be a 'modern reboot'.

[That NOS Guy]

Yeah, I was wondering if it's set 'before the first movie', in that the events lead into it, but not 'before the date of the first movie' in calender terms. In other words, it could simply be a 'modern reboot'.

Unlikely, there's Norwegian flags in the background which would tie it into the opening lines of the first one.

[B5B7]

Is this new movie actually called 'The Thing'? Because if it is, it seems that even though it is dealing with the Norge encounter that occurred before the American base events, that it is actually a re-imagining, not an actual prequel - other than perhaps to a new remake of the original 1982 movie. A new movie with the events at the American base would then be 'The Thing II". But I don't actually think that is the intent (to do a 'Thing II') but that this is a modern audience replacement for the 1982 movie, because for one thing it is so similar in execution, and of course as is the 'modern' trend has a 'Ripley' instead of a 'MacReady'.

Edit: I just checked IMDB, and they say that this is actual title, and also that it is allegedly a prequel, but I still think it is more a substitute, for today's movie-goers, for original movie. The claim that they couldn't think up a new title sounds weak to me.

[Kuja]

Edit: I just checked IMDB, and they say that this is actual title, and also that it is allegedly a prequel, but I still think it is more a substitute, for today's movie-goers, for original movie. The claim that they couldn't think up a new title sounds weak to me.

Well, what title could they give it that would still tie into the first movie?

The Early Thing? The First Thing? The Other Thing? The Original Thing? Thing One? A-Thing? Thing 2: Electric Bugaloo? Beginning Thing? That Thing? District Thing? Say Any-Thing? Some Thing Wicked This Way Comes?

Maybe they should've just taken the line from the first movie and called it 'Crazy Norwegians.'

...

Nah.

[Ahriman238]

The Thing From Beneath A Fuckton of Ice?

Incidently, it's apparently a tradition in the American Anarctic research station to show the Thing the night the last plane for the winter leaves (night as a period of time, not a measure of daylight of course.) and that is awesome.

Sweet dreams guys.

[neoolong]

Well, what title could they give it that would still tie into the first movie?

The Early Thing? The First Thing? The Other Thing? The Original Thing? Thing One? A-Thing? Thing 2: Electric Bugaloo? Beginning Thing? That Thing? District Thing? Say Any-Thing? Some Thing Wicked This Way Comes?

Maybe they should've just taken the line from the first movie and called it 'Crazy Norwegians.'

...

Nah.

How about the name of the earlier version? The Thing from Another World.

So I guess we're finally going to find out how that axe got into the door in the 1982 movie. It's about time.

[Srelex]

It looks...okay. Can't really much about originality when Carpenter's film was itself a remake of an adaptation, but as long as it at least tries to attain the same atmosphere as the previous film it may be worth it.

[Stark]

Unlikely, there's Norwegian flags in the background which would tie it into the opening lines of the first one.

What are you even talking about? Regardless of whether it's set in the 80s or now, of course it's about a Norwegian base.

Are there any pictures of CRTs or floppy disks or whatever?

[2000AD]

So is it a mix of prequel and remake? The Norwegian base setting and them being the ones to take it out of the ice seem to indicate prequel but some of scenes seem to be total remake of the origional.
If they re-do the defribulator scene they better do it justice, that's still the scene that's given me the biggest jump of any horror movie I've seen.

[CaptainChewbacca]

The Thing From Beneath A Fuckton of Ice?

Incidently, it's apparently a tradition in the American Anarctic research station to show the Thing the night the last plane for the winter leaves (night as a period of time, not a measure of daylight of course.) and that is awesome.

Sweet dreams guys.

Yeah, I really didn't enjoy it. I wanted to watch Aliens Vs. Predator, but I got voted down.

[Ryushikaze]

Edit: I just checked IMDB, and they say that this is actual title, and also that it is allegedly a prequel, but I still think it is more a substitute, for today's movie-goers, for original movie. The claim that they couldn't think up a new title sounds weak to me.

Well, what title could they give it that would still tie into the first movie?

The Early Thing? The First Thing? The Other Thing? The Original Thing? Thing One? A-Thing? Thing 2: Electric Bugaloo? Beginning Thing? That Thing? District Thing? Say Any-Thing? Some Thing Wicked This Way Comes?

Maybe they should've just taken the line from the first movie and called it 'Crazy Norwegians.'

...

Nah.

The everlovin' Thing springs to mind, but that's just me being silly.

If this is a reboot, might the continue into another remake of the original after this?

[HMS Sophia]

No
The director has quite happily said that he thinks the original is perfect, and doesn't want to touch it.

[FaxModem1]

I love how in the trailer, they have the woman react with horror to Norweigans celebrating. They must be really bad singers.

[Tanasinn]

In my opinion, this is a movie doesn't need to be made. Judging from the teaser, it's the same damn movie with a slightly prettier cast and a whiff of the ever-fucking "WHAT HAS SCIENCE DOOOOOOOOOONE" meme.

[FedRebel]

Well, what title could they give it that would still tie into the first movie?

The Early Thing? The First Thing? The Other Thing? The Original Thing? Thing One? A-Thing? Thing 2: Electric Bugaloo? Beginning Thing? That Thing? District Thing? Say Any-Thing? Some Thing Wicked This Way Comes?

Maybe they should've just taken the line from the first movie and called it 'Crazy Norwegians.'

"The Thing: First Encounter"

That has a bit of a ring to to it

[ThomasP]

So is it a mix of prequel and remake? The Norwegian base setting and them being the ones to take it out of the ice seem to indicate prequel but some of scenes seem to be total remake of the origional.

What I've read so far suggests that this is more prequel than anything, with the director going to great pains to maintain continuity with the original -- things like the "axe in the door", the guy with his throat and wrists slit, even the ice-block looks faithful to Carpenter's film.

Whether they've re-imagined it to modern times I don't know. The trailer has a glimpse of modern-looking graphics showing the "cell takeover", the same thing you could see on Wilford Brimley's Pacman-quality display in the original, so I don't know how they're going to reconcile that with early-80s computers -- or if they'll even bother.

I'm interested in seeing this, if only to see how they handle it. This is a film that has an equal shot of being pretty good or CGI-bloated awful.

[That NOS Guy]

Are there any pictures of CRTs or floppy disks or whatever?

Did you see any laptops?