Choosing to make a prequel to John Carpenter’s The Thing runs a huge risk of alienating fans of the 1982 horror classic, and while Ridley Scott is arguably allowed to delve into the past of his parasitic monster, the proposed prequel film from the pen of Ronald D. Moore and directed by Matthijs Van Heijningen needs to both honour the original and show us something new – after all, if it’s a prequel, we all know how it ends…
The character breakdowns leaked today and webheads have been busy dissecting the details, which are mildly infused with spoilers, but as expected an all male cast is not replicated and a tough female character will lead the film.
The bare bones are included below and if spoilers don’t bother you then I’d head on over to Spoiler TV to get the full picture.
[KATE LLOYD] In her late 20s to early 30s, pretty, bright-eyed, intelligent, she’s a graduate of Columbia and a Ph.D. candidate in paleontology (the study of prehistoric life). On the recommendation of her friend Adam Goodman, Kate is tapped for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity by Dr. Sander Halvorson to join his research team in Antarctica, where an extraordinary discovery has been made. Upon arrival, Kate soon finds herself at odds with Halvorson about how best to proceed with the discovery…
[DR. SANDER HALVORSON] In his late 30s to early 50s, austere, scholarly and imperious, he’s a microbiologist from NYU who leads a science research team to Antarctica to help his old friend Edvard interpret and analyze an extraordinary discovery made beneath the ice. Sander, a brilliant scientist and a master of self-promotion, knows that his involvement in such an historic discovery will bring him fame and fortune. Blinded by ambition, he refuses to abandon the “project” even as the bodies pile up around him.
[SAM CARTER] In his early 30s, rugged, handsome, blue-collar, he’s a helicopter pilot with a private charter service that transports personnel and supplies from McMurdo Station to remote research sites across Antarctica. Carter is a mercenary. He flies when he wants, where he wants, and he flies for one reason: money.
[ADAM GOODMAN] In his early 30s, clever, brash, unapologetically ambitious, Adam comes to Antarctica as Halvorson’s research assistant. A friend of Kate’s since they were undergrads at Columbia, it is Adam who recommended her to Dr. Halvorson. Though his respect for Kate is genuine, ultimately, he is a likeable opportunist who believes his professional association with the esteemed Dr. Halvorson will advance his career.
These breakdowns are naturally basic but it’s clear that the prequel will eschew the boiling testosterone and it reminds me of Aliens Vs. Predator but an open mind must be kept. All the characters have their motivations and agendas, hidden or otherwise, but it won’t be the chemistry between the characters that will endear this film to the movie going crowds, it will be the atmosphere, the cold, cold walls closing in and the visual effects, so important in the Carpenter film. I’m dreading a CG marinated scare free fest but, again, my mind will stay open.
