John Carpenter hasn’t directed a film since 2010’s “The Ward.” That one was met with negative reactions, but ironically enough, ever since his sabbatical began, Carpenter’s filmography has only grown in stature—to the point where horror fans worldwide have been begging him to make one more movie.
Their wish might come true, or at least we hope it does. Caution is always key when it comes to the potential of a new film from this man.
Recently, Carpenter appeared at Fan Expo Philadelphia. While taking questions from the audience, he was asked about the possibility of a “Thing” sequel. “We’re working on it now,” said Carpenter. However, before you get too excited, it should be noted that he then added, “I don’t know. We’ll see.”
At this moment, one should remain cautiously optimistic until we hear something more official. After all, this is the same man who openly admitted he’d rather eat popsicles, watch the NBA, and play video games than return to cinema.
“The Thing,” released in 1982 by Universal, was a critical and commercial bomb. The film starred Kurt Russell as a helicopter pilot stationed at an Antarctic research base, where he and his team encounter a shape-shifting alien that can perfectly imitate any living organism, leading to paranoia and deadly mistrust among the crew.
There initially was open hostility toward its cynical, anti-authoritarian tone and graphic special effects. Critics hated it. Gene Siskel called it “the most unpleasant, sickening motion picture” he had seen in a long time. It’s now regarded as one of the greatest horror films of all time
In fact, Carpenter is a filmmaker who was shrugged off by many critics for the first three decades of his career but has now been embraced by a whole new generation. His influence can be seen all over today’s wave of neo-horror movies, including Nicolas Winding Refn, Robert Eggers, Ti West, David Robert Mitchell, Jeremy Saulnier, Adam Wingard, Jordan Peele, and the Duffer Brothers.
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 today. However, all of these films weren’t that well-received decades 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.
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