John Carpenter was a guest of honor at Texas Frightmare Weekend. In the process he was also part of a Q&A session.
One question did lead to Carpenter revealing that a sequel to one of his most beloved films might be on the horizon.
I have been sworn to secrecy, okay, because there may be, I don’t know if there will be, there may be a ‘Thing 2.’
A sequel to John Carpenter’s 1982 classic “The Thing” is not something I was expecting. At this same panel, Carpenter admitted that there have been discussions between himself and ‘Thing’ star Kurt Russell.
However, Carpenter did confirm that he recently finishing directing another project, a television series titled “John Carpenter’s Suburban Screams”. Carpenter says the show was shot in Prague, and he directed the series remotely from his home.
Last year, John Carpenter had hinted that he might be directing a new movie, telling the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he has a few projects “lined up and percolating” that will involve him flexing his skills as a director, writer and composer.
If you remember, two years ago at Cannes, Carpenter had also mentioned that he wanted to “make a little horror film”.
This past January, he again hinted at something he was working on, this time in an interview with Variety, but added that it’s “shrouded in total mystery, like Skull Island.”
The 75-year-old writer-director hasn’t made a film since 2010’s “The Ward.” That one was met with negative reactions.
Ironically enough, ever since his sabbatical began, Carpenter’s filmography has resonated with today’s younger filmmakers. He’s become a celebrated auteur whose influence can be seen all over today’s wave of neo-horror cinema.
When you’ve directed films such as “Halloween,” “The Thing,” “Escape From New York,” “Assault on Precinct 13,” and “They Live” then you should probably expect laudatory praise. However, all of these films weren’t that well-received 30-40 years ago, it’s only recently that Carpenter’s filmography has received a much-needed reappraisal, so much so that a new film by him would now be deemed a major event for cinephiles.
Netflix and Skydance Animation have also called it quits. The two sides announced Monday that they're ending the animated film deal struck back in 2023, framing it as a mutual decision.