John Carpenter wants to make it known: he is the only one who knows the ending of his cult film, “The Thing”.
Forty-one years after The Thing hit theaters, director John Carpenter is still being questioned about its widely debated ending. Like Christopher Nolan’s Inception or Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner, Carpenter’s horror classic ends on a huge cliffhanger: which of RJ MacReady (Kurt Russell) or Childs (Keith David) is still inhabited by the Thing, the alien body snatcher from the movie.
One of the most popular and longest-running theories about this ending is that of Dean Cundey, the feature film’s cinematographer. The latter in fact suggested that throughout the film, a specific glow can be seen in the eyes of the one inhabited by the alien. So, as a slight glow can be seen in Childs’ eyes in the final scene, this would mean that he is the Thing. However, John Carpenter in person denounces his remarks.
The latter, who is currently making the press rounds to promote his new horror anthology series John Carpenter’s Suburban Screams, which will premiere on October 13 on Peacock in the United States, declared in an interview granted to ComicBook.com (via Variety), being the only one to know the real answer about his film’s ending.
[Dean Cundey] do not know. He has no idea. He turns on the lights. He turns on the lights and we were in the snow. He has no idea. Tell him that. Tell him he’s full of shit. Yes I know. I know who the Thing is and who isn’t in the end. No. I can not tell you. Sorry.
Although it received negative reviews at the time of its release and only grossed $19.6 million at the box office, The Thing has since achieved cult status and is now considered by many fans to be one of the best horror films of all time.
Earlier this year, John Carpenter has also excited fans by declaring that he “could there be a The Thing 2”, although no further details have been released.
THE PREQUEL AND ITS ABORTED SEQUEL
Building on its reputation, the classic was entitled to a prequel in 2011 by Matthijs van Heijningen Jr. with a cast including Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Joel Edgerton and this project was also to have a sequel. Speaking to SYFY WIRE, the director revealed what she could have looked like.
“We dreamed of a sequel. Kate [le personnage de Mary Elizabeth Winstead] would escape, be picked up at sea, and attempt to warn the world while on an oil rig near the South Pole. The monster would be unleashed on the platform. I liked the idea of chaos on the oil rigs.”
However, its prequel was widely criticized, which prevented the production of a second part. Reflecting on how the audience reacted, the director said: “The Carpenter version was so good and a lot of fans were almost offended by the prequel and didn’t see the need for a follow-up. But now I completely understand that it was a little early.”
He continued: “I know it’s a debated topic, but looking back, we were caught in a cross-section where the animatronics were dated and the CG wasn’t good enough. We made the wrong decision to do this in post-production [quand il s’agissait] to create the design of the monster on the computer. I regret it now.”
The Thing is currently available on VOD.