John Carpenter Gives Fans Hope for The Thing Sequel After 44 Years

John Carpenter has once again hinted that a sequel to his sci-fi horror classic The Thing is currently in development. When asked about the fate of a potential follow-up during an appearance at Fan Expo Chicago, the filmmaker replied, “We’re working on it now.”

However, when a fan pressed for more details, Carpenter quickly managed expectations, adding, “Yeah, I don’t know. We’ll see.”

This is not the first time Carpenter has teased a possible continuation. In October 2025, the director also stated that work on the project was underway. As far back as 2023, he noted that he was under a nondisclosure agreement while acknowledging the possibility of a new film. Despite these recurring comments over the years, no project has received an official studio announcement.

Carpenter already has his own view on the fate of the original characters. The director believes that MacReady and Childs survived the ambiguous finale of the 1982 film. Whether any potential sequel would revisit those characters remains unknown.