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Joel Edgerton & Mary Elizabeth Winstead Cast in The Thing
by Ethan Anderton
February 7, 2010
Last month we got word that the new take on The Thing (previously remade in 1982 by John Carpenter and Howard Hawks) would begin shooting sometime in March. Now we've got word from Heat Vision that Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Death Proof, Live Free or Die Hard) and Joel Edgerton (Smokin' Aces, Animal Kingdom) have joined the cast of the sci-fi thriller. Last we heard, the story was supposed to show the story of the Norwegian camps in the Antarctic that were ravaged by "The Thing" before the Americans (in the original) discovered the decimated camps, but Heat Vision doesn't allude to this being a prequel.
They have the same premise we've heard about, but they don't mention specifically that this is a prequel, so maybe this is actually some sort of reboot for a potential franchise, or some sort of remake/prequel hybrid like the most recent incarnation of Friday the 13th? Winstead will play a Ph.D. candidate who joins a Norwegian research team in Antarctica after it discovers an alien ship in the ice. When a trapped organism is freed and begins a series of attacks, she is forced to team with a "blue-collar mercenary helicopter pilot" (Edgerton) to stop the rampage. So it could fit into a time before the original story takes place, but it could also be a whole new beginning for The Thing. We're not really sure what this is. Anyone else have any idea?
Whatever the case, it sounds like it'll be Edgerton who is stepping into Kurt Russell's shoes as the resident badass, so we can expect him to be quite an onscreen presence (Alex saw him in the Sundance film Animal Kingdom and he's apparently great in that,). As for Winstead, not only is she easy on the eyes, but showed some promise in Death Proof and Live Free or Die Hard, and more is yet to be seen from her performance in Edgar Wright's Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. We'll keep you posted on this prequel/remake fuzziness, in addition to hoping director Matthijs van Heijningen Jr. delivers some killer sci-fi fun. And if you hear any more about what this is actually supposed to be, please let us know as well.
12 Comments
1
She looked hotter with long hair. So, is this for the Sci-Fi Channel?
People's Champ 3D on Feb 7, 2010
2
I don't know how to feel about this...confusion maybe? Like I'm confused because they want to prequel one of the most fucked up/awesome sci-fi thrillers ever made. I still in vivd detail remember the head sprouting spide-like legs and long eyes and its scurring movements, right before its gets set on fire! its #2 on the list of the most fucked-up creatures in films #1 being The Facehugger from Alien. and it still lives in my dreams...O.o Just thinking about the Facehugger gives me chills! But the Head Spider is something that can never be re-created, and I seriously doubt a prequel will ever live up to The Thing!
Xerxex on Feb 7, 2010
3
Who the fuck is Joel Edgerton?? All I can say is: why?
kLO on Feb 8, 2010
4
Why are they casting a woman in this? I hate when they feel like they should include a female character not because it makes the story interesting or actually makes sense but because the creators feel like it'll bring in more men (or more women) to the theater. It's a horror movie, or at least a thriller. I don't need romance or the hint of it in every damned story! And for the record, I'm a woman.
Jenn on Feb 8, 2010
5
Hmm...not 100% sure about this, but wouldnt Elizabeth Winstead be "the first woman in the Antarctic" ? I thought it was in the mid eighties that the first women came to the Antarctic, but I could be wrong. There are no women in Carpenter's The Thing, only the computer is "female", voice of Adrienne Barbeau. An all male cast gave this fantasic film a special edge, I have low hopes for this prequel now. "The new The Thing wil be directed by comercials director Matthijs Van Heijningen from a screenplay by Ronald D. Moore and rewritten by Eric Heisserer. The plot of the thriller is described by the studio as follows: In a remote Antarctica outpost, an alien spaceship is discovered far beneath the ice. When a group of ambitious scientists decide to thaw out one of the creatures inside, they're in for the terrifying fight of their lives... The film's casting breakdowns have been leaked so there is plenty of information floating about as to the characters the two leads will play: Winstead plays Kate Lloyd, who is "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 - an alien spaceship with a mysterious and sinister frozen THING found nearby - specifically whether to transfer the specimen undisturbed to a more appropriate facility for analysis, or, per Halvorson's wishes, to drill into the specimen's ice encasement for a definitive tissue sample." Edgerton will play Sam Carter, who is "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. But his resourcefulness, experience and get-it-done mentality make him indispensable." Winstead's character is forced to team with Carter in her attempt to stop the alien rampage. The third lead character of Dr. Sander Halvorson has yet to be cast. Shooting is sceduled to bgin in Toronto in mid-March" "Edgerton will play a mercenary loosely based on the Kurt Russell character from the 1982 movie."
David Banner on Feb 8, 2010
6
I know we're supposed to hate remakes as fans of cinema...but I love the idea of a new Thing film. The John Carpenter version is one of my favorite movies of all time, and if a remake gets people to look at it again, or watch it for the first time, it's well worth it.
whomever on Feb 8, 2010
7
It's great that things are really stepping up for Edgerton but I don't like the idea of this film.
d1rEct on Feb 8, 2010
8
THE HEAD SPIDER.....I really wanna go watch that right now to refresh my memory of that movie but man how could u forget the headspider, first time I saw it I was 13, it will forever remain in top 3 nightmares ever. Id like to like this idea but I get the feeling there totally going to fuck it up.
Cody on Feb 8, 2010
9
I hope they have the good sense and patience to use practical effects and rely on CGI very little or not at all. A lot of the real genius in Carpenter's is from the writing/directing, though, so this movie is going to have to really nail it so seem valid at all. I can't help but feel like the Norwegian camp story only has one ending, so how surprised can we be? I wouldn't be surprised to see it ending with a thing man/dog walking up to Childs and MacReady as the US camp burns down. This seems like it'd work better as a sequel set in the mid to late 80s, where perhaps MacReady or Childs take on the role of the dog in the beginning of The Thing. #8- Head Spider was the most shocked I've ever been during a movie. The Thing is going to be an unbelievably hard film to top, or even come close.
Paul on Feb 8, 2010
10
WEAK. More rehashed Hollywood bullsh*t.
smackyou on Feb 9, 2010
11
12
I was hoping for a sequel or prequel. I don't like the idea of a reboot. I do like the idea of Mary Elizabeth Winstead. I don't know who Edgerton is.
Craig on Jun 10, 2010
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