Horror icon John Carpenter has publicly decried the 2011 film "The Thing," a prequel to his own acclaimed 1982 original, referring to it as a "piece of crap." However, this strong condemnation has been met with a defense from some fans who point to the film's production history.
The 2011 film, directed by Matthijs van Heijningen Jr., aimed to bridge the gap between itself and Carpenter's classic by detailing the events at the Norwegian Antarctic research station prior to the discovery of the alien organism. Despite its connection to the revered original, the prequel struggled commercially, grossing only $31.5 million worldwide, and received mixed reviews. IGN's own review at the time awarded it a 5/10, criticizing its descent into "over-the-top goriness" and "risible CG moments."
During a recent panel at FanExpo in Chicago, Carpenter, who was joined by actor Kurt Russell, did not mince words. "They made a sequel, I guess, or something," Carpenter remarked. "Norwegian camp — did you see that piece of crap? They did digital effects and they had… Instead of a blood test it was a dental test. I mean, it was unreal. It’s like, what?! The dentist?!” Russell, who starred in the 1982 film, added that Carpenter "doesn’t suffer fools greatly."
While acknowledging the film's shortcomings, some fans have rallied to its defense, attributing its perceived flaws to studio interference rather than the creative team's intent. One fan suggested on Reddit that "Director Matthijs van Heijningen Jr. and the creature effects team at Amalgamated Dynamics had created a ton of practical creature effects for the film." This fan further stated that the studio ultimately replaced most of these practical effects with CGI, deeming them too "dated," a decision the director himself has since regretted.
Supporters have called for the release and remastering of workprints containing the original practical effects, believing this would present the film closer to its initial vision. Other fans expressed a more lenient view, with one commenting, "I honestly liked it and appreciated how respectful it was of Carpenter’s movie." Another added, "Did we need it? No. Am I glad we have it? Yes."
In a 2023 interview with Syfy Wire, van Heijningen expressed his own regrets about the heavy reliance on CGI. He described the film as being "caught in a cross-zone where animatronics were old-fashioned and the CGI wasn’t good enough," admitting, "We made the wrong decision to do it in post-production [when it came to] making the monster design in the computer."
Van Heijningen also outlined ideas for a potential sequel that would have seen the monster loose on an oil rig, but the prequel's poor reception and Carpenter's clear disapproval have seemingly dashed any hopes of those plans coming to fruition.