As a long-time fan of John Carpenter’s “The Thing,” I must say that I find the story of the unmade “Return of The Thing” miniseries both fascinating and heartbreaking. Having spent countless hours immersed in the chilling world of Antarctica and its shape-shifting terror, I can only imagine the thrill of bringing this tale to life on a bigger scale, with an army of head spiders no less!
Imagine if the terrifying shape-shifter from John Carpenter’s 1982 remake of The Thing, currently available on Peacock, had managed to break free from its frozen prison in Antarctica and spread its infection across the globe. This intriguing scenario was almost brought to life by director Frank Darabont, renowned for his work on The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile, and screenwriter David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, known for his contributions to The Walking Dead and Aquaman. During the five-year gap between Shawshank and Green Mile, Johnson-McGoldrick served as Darabont’s assistant, eventually discovering the Carpenter classic
Johnson-McGoldrick shares with SYFY Wire over Zoom that he frequently took care of [Frank]’s home, “and being the ’90s, he had an extensive LaserDisc library. I hadn’t seen ‘The Thing,’ it came out when I was 13 and I missed it. Instead, I was into ‘E.T.’ at that age, not ‘The Thing.’ It was at his house that I first watched ‘The Thing’ and developed a fondness for it, realizing what I had been missing.”
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, as the aspiring screenwriter embarked on his successful Hollywood journey, he continued to hold a part-time position at Darkwoods Productions, the production company of Darabont. This was during the time when the SYFY network (known then as Sci Fi) solicited scriptwriters in Hollywood for a miniseries. The goal was to create a script so compelling that it could revive the frozen IP of “The Thing”
“Back then, the Sci-Fi Channel was thriving with their miniseries and sci-fi films. They owned a unique property and were eager to develop it. When they approached me, they weren’t seeking a simple adaptation. Instead, they wanted a reimagining. Essentially, they said, ‘Use the original source, transform it into something else. There’s no link to the John Carpenter film. It was remade before; we’ll do it again.’ They wanted me to create a new creature, one that could transform into any object. It was an open-ended project at the time.”
Johnson-McGoldrick secured the project by recognizing a crucial truth: there was no room for enhancement on the 1982 film, which had since been rightfully recognized as a cinematic masterpiece despite its poor box office and critical reception initially. The groundbreaking creature effects by Rob Bottin created one of the most terrifying monsters in horror cinema history, according to the screenwriter. “You have the Xenomorph, the Predator, and the Thing, all appearing successively in the late ‘70s and ‘80s, and they’re all extremely iconic. I proposed that this was similar to attempting to reimagine the Xenomorph or the Predator… They recognized the importance of preserving the original iconic visuals and narrative.”
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Essentially, he presented the network with an idea that was the exact opposite of their expectations by suggesting a direct follow-up to the Carpenter movie, which led to the creation of “Return of the Thing,” a four-hour miniseries. This production combined elements of John Carpenter, Michael Crichton, Stephen King, and Rod Serling in a unique blend. If executed successfully, this two-night television event could potentially gain the same level of affection as the ’82 film while also serving as a stepping stone for an entire series
This script, available online if you put in the effort to find it, significantly broadens the realm of “The Thing” legend. It incorporates elements like political intrigue, a redemptive narrative, Native American folklore, family dynamics, intense action sequences, an origins tale for the monster itself, and, as expected, heaps of grotesque body horror that pays tribute to Bottin while propelling the series into terrifyingly uncharted territory. Remarkably, none of these elements seem disparate, instead they blend harmoniously – a testament to Johnson-McGoldrick’s skill. In essence, one could argue that they were aiming to achieve what James Cameron accomplished for the “Alien” franchise
In the initial stages, Greg Nicotero, a longtime friend of Darabont’s and co-founder of KNB EFX Group, was tasked with creating practical creature effects for the miniseries. Before the project came to a halt, he contributed significant concept work. Later, Darabont and Nicotero collaborated on projects like The Mist and The Walking Dead. As Johnson-McGoldrick explains, “There’s a kind of magic when you blend practical effects with CGI.” He suggests that CGI was used primarily to smooth out seams. If the project had continued, Nicotero had plenty of innovative ideas for this approach
The Setting of The Thing Miniseries That Was Never Made
In the mid-2000s, around two decades since the chaos at Outpost 31, “Return of the Thing” would have unfolded a complex storyline. The U.S. government would strive to halt the spread of an extraterrestrial organism in a secluded New Mexico town. The fear and physical transformations from the original are intensified to unprecedented levels in the daring miniseries script, submitted in early 2005. Johnson-McGoldrick swiftly approached Darabont to direct (Darabont was already familiar with reimagining ’50s properties, having penned the screenplay for Chuck Russell’s 1988 adaptation of “The Blob”)
“The screenwriter recalls that our vision was closely aligned with capturing the same atmosphere as the original work. In essence, we aimed to create an entirely fresh narrative while remaining true to Carpenter’s style and pushing forward. If you watch the pilot of The Walking Dead, you’ll see it’s one of the finest hours on TV, arguably one of the best pilots ever [Darabont adapted Robert Kirkman’s comic for television screens]. It’s incredibly cinematic, and that was his strategy. At a time when television wasn’t yet in its current golden age, he wanted to create cinema-like TV. That was essentially our proposal.”
The 1951 and 1982 adaptations of “The Thing” were reimagined for a world post-9/11, a time marked by echoes of America’s Cold War tensions with the Soviet Union, as described by Johnson-McGoldrick. In the revamped version titled “Return of the Thing“, the narrative opens with a prologue where Russian bioweapons specialists (headed by Dr. Yuri Lukanov and his wife, Alina) stumble upon the remnants of Outpost 31, the frozen corpses of MacReady and Childs, and the spaceship that crashed on Earth long ago. The ambiguous ending from the original is addressed in this adaptation
They bring the saucer and living tissue samples of the shape-shifter back to the USSR, hoping to weaponize the extra-terrestrial against the West. Once it becomes clear that the alien cannot be controlled, however, the project is scrapped. A single vial of the Thing’s blood is kept on ice and lost to the annals of history once the Communist regime collapses in the early ’90s. Years pass until a band of Chechen rebels break into the lab on Vozrozhdeniya Island and steal the dangerous sample, believing it to be a strain of weaponized smallpox. What begins as a plan to launch a terrorist attack against the United States turns into an all-out battle for the continuity of mankind.
During the process of creating the miniseries, Russia was experiencing significant upheaval, with many concerns about the fate of their nuclear materials and a surge in crime and organized crime. This led us to the concept that the Thing could exploit such chaos, as there would be a neglected lab somewhere. Additionally, we found it relevant to explore the resurgence of threats originating from or caused by the Cold War period. For instance, resources were used to destabilize the Russians in Afghanistan, only for those actions to ultimately harm us on 9/11. Thus, the question arose: “Could the shadows of the Cold War be woven into our storyline?”
With unique knowledge about the alien’s true abilities, Lukanov embarks on a dangerous journey to America, driven by his resolve to eliminate this monstrous being forever. He is willing to risk American lives, should it come down to detonating an atomic bomb within their borders
In an interview, Johnson-McGoldrick shared that their project was a continuation of “The Thing,” but they were also huge fans of John Carpenter. They pondered, “Which characters from Carpenter’s mythos could we incorporate?” The Russian scientist character in the miniseries became obsessed with finding the Thing and was always urging others to destroy it, serving as a Carpenter-esque character similar to Dr. Loomis. Their plan was to scatter Carpenter tributes throughout the production by asking, “Who would Carpenter cast for this role?” and staying faithful to his archetypes
In a sequel, there’s often a challenge: fans desire familiar elements but not repetition. They would be frustrated if you simply rehashed the old storyline. Balancing this fine line between satisfying expectations and introducing something new is challenging. The question we asked ourselves was, “Should we repeat the heat test?” We had already seen it and didn’t want to revisit that aspect again
Instead of retracing old steps, the miniseries devises a unique challenge. Drawing on the clues from the New Mexico incident, Lukanov finds that intense electric currents can compel the alien to expose its true identity and revert to earlier life forms it has mimicked. Essentially, repeated shocks can coerce this Mysterious Entity to unveil its original form. Interestingly, Carpenter himself had paved the way for this approach
“The Thing seems to react only when it encounters defibrillator paddles.” This observation led them to speculate if electricity might affect the creature and cause it to transform. As a result, they incorporated defibrillators into the script early on, creating a new plot point that feels organic yet hints back to the original movie, making it less of a cheat
The concept of reimagining familiar scenes on a grander and more unexpected scale would have been integral throughout the miniseries, particularly during its finale where the scene of Norris’s head growing legs and trying to creep away undetected, instead, presents an inverted visual spectacle
In Johnson-McGoldrick’s words, “One aspect of Frank’s vision that impressed me greatly was our decision at the end of the show to unleash a horde of spider heads. I believe the image of the spider head is the most memorable aspect of that movie for many people, alongside the defibrillator. While we didn’t want to dilute the impact of the original spider head, we were eager to see it again. The idea of transforming the single spider head into a swarm was too intriguing to resist. So, we took that concept further and I think fans would have enjoyed this homage to the original, while also taking it to new heights.”
Why Return of The Thing Was Never Made
The film titled “Return of the Thing” was temporarily halted, largely due to financial constraints. Simultaneously, Universal Pictures opted to redirect its attention towards a cinematic resurrection, which eventually materialized as a 2011 prequel based in Norway. As Johnson-McGoldrick explains, “This was around the time when everyone was rediscovering their horror intellectual properties for the big screen. You had remakes of The Hitcher, Friday, the 13th, and A Nightmare on Elm Street. All the theatrical divisions within these companies were delving into their libraries, asking, ‘What can we bring back to theaters?'” Johnson-McGoldrick believes that there was enough space in Antarctica for both projects to coexist
In simpler terms, “I believed both stories could peacefully coexist because they never clashed, even though one is a prequel and the other moves forward in time. When I watched the prequel for the first time, at the end, it mentioned there was a nearby Russian base, which felt like a perfect connection to our story. Unfortunately, this didn’t happen as planned.”
During the pandemic, he and NBCUniversal allegedly reconsidered the miniseries and aimed to develop it into a complete TV series that preserved the grim pessimism of Carpenter’s film. The initial four-hour script was planned to be expanded, filling up the first season
“We envisioned our series as following the countdown sequence from the movie ‘Blair’. This storyline represents the time it would take for the entire world to be affected by this Thing, if it were to spread among the general population. Our concept was intriguing – what if the series itself is one long countdown, with the Thing ultimately prevailing? As you progress through seasons, you’d reach a point where it’s all over according to Blair’s timeline, but throughout the storyline, we’re tracking this countdown until the end.”
Returning to the project with a fresh perspective led the writer to question the decision of definitively identifying who was and wasn’t human at the end of The Thing film. If this revised concept had been developed, fans could have enjoyed the return of characters like MacReady, Childs, or even both. At the turn of the millennium, the notion of Kurt Russell starring in a TV show seemed implausible, but now it’s common for movie stars to appear on television. This was one of the significant factors we considered when contemplating whether to address that question or leave it as an open-ended possibility for Russell’s return. I’m still unsure if we ever wanted to know the answer; it’s such a fascinating enigma. On one hand, it was exciting to solve the mystery, but on the other, I wondered, “Did we really want to know?” I’m still pondering that one
Regrettably, this second endeavor didn’t lead to any progress, yet Johnson-McGoldrick remains unperturbed. He remarks that many enthusiasts would cherish such a chance, whether it came to fruition or not. In his perspective, since he was compensated for writing a fan fiction of Thing, he can’t fathom what the drawbacks could be in all honesty
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2024-09-04 19:10