Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Joel Edgerton to star in 'The Thing'

Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Joel Edgerton will star in "The Thing," Universal's latest take on the shape-shifting alien who terrorizes a group of people in a remote facility.

The best-known version might be the 1982 John Carpenter-Kurt Russell cult movie, which was a contemporary remake of 1951's "The Thing From Another World," directed by Howard Hawks. All take inspiration from a 1938 short story, "Who Goes There?" published in pulp mag Astounding.

Matthijs Van Heijningen is directing the latest movie, which was written by Ronald D. Moore and Eric Heisserer. Strike Entertainment's Marc Abraham and Eric Newman are producing.

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.

A March 15 start date in Toronto is planned.

 The movie is one of the first two projects greenlighted by the new Universal administration. The other is "Dr. Seuss' The Lorax," which the studio is making with Illumination Entertainment.

The role is a coup for Winstead and marks her first starring studio vehicle. The actress, repped by CAA and Betty Winstead, appeared in a bit part in Quentin Tarantino's "Death Proof" and was Bruce Willis' daughter in "Live Free or Die Hard." She caught Universal's eye with her work opposite Michael Cera in the studio's upcoming "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World," where she plays love interest Ramona V. Flowers. Universal is releasing that movie Aug. 13.

Edgerton, repped by CAA and Ann Churchill Brown, starred on Broadway opposite Cate Blanchett in "A Streetcar Named Desire." He next co-stars opposite Tom Hardy in Gavin O'Connor's "Warrior" for Lionsgate.

Comments

[find coupon]

This was such a bad amazing movie. Sad that it got such bad reviews from critics. It was just ahead of it's time, would have been a hit had it not come out so early and not come out at the same time E.T did...

[nintendo r4]

I would say this movie got under my skin and made me freak out. Its a scary thought to place it in the middle of nowhere, too.

[neil john brimelow]

Still don't understand why it got bad reviews at the time. It's one of the few "older" horror films that still holds up today. Watch "The Thing" on Blu-Ray, the makeup is practically flawless.

[peter]

Christian Nyby directed the 1951 version of The Thing.

[axel]

And let us not forget Ms. Winstead's transcendent performance in that modern classic: 2006's "Final Destination 3."

[Nobody]

God help us....this is going to be a disasterpiece.

[PatHealy]

I REMEMBER WHEN THIS CAME OUT AND GOT TRASHED BY THe critics. they compared it to a porn movie with all the gross fx and what not. wathced it many times when it was on cable. awesome movie. thanks.

[DesertJoe]

Worst idea ever. Zero interest in seeing this one.

[Chuck Anziulewicz]

I consider "The Thing" to be one of the high points in John Carpenter's career.

AS A SCIENCE FICTION FILM: "The Thing" is a wonderful adaptation of Joseph Campbell's short story, "Who Goes There?" and it's probably the first time a shape-shifting alien menace has been created realistically on screen.

AS A HORROR FILM: This movie is pretty much one big non-stop horror show, a showcase of extremely weird and occasionally repellent special effects. It has some pretty creepy moments, and one jolt in particular that made me jump out of my seat the first time I saw it. But is it persistently, relentlessly SCARY? Maybe for little kids, but today's sophisticated audience requires more psychological scares that have some basis in reality.

AS SUSPENSE AND DRAMA: One thing I hate is when directors of horror films feel the need to drop in a little "comic relief" from time to me. To me, horror is supposed to be serious stuff. And except for one oddly-appropriate line spoken by David Clennon (later the loathsome Miles Drentel on TV's "Thirty-Something"), the humor is kept to a bare minimum. It's also worth watching this film a second time to puzzle out WHO has become infected with the alien contagion and WHEN it might have happened. The atmosphere of paranoia established in "The Thing" is very effective.

AS A SHOWCASE OF SPECIAL EFFECTS: Yes, folks, there was a time when directors couldn't rely on computer graphic imaging for special effects; when a shape-shifting alien was not digitally mapped, but instead had to be constructed piece-by-piece out of latex, air bladders, and gallons of K-Y Jelly. Few moviegoers were prepared for the parade of grotesquerie that effect wizard Rob Bottin gave us.

THIS MOVIE ISN'T PERFECT: There's a remarkably rapid shifting between daytime and nighttime scenes for a story that's supposed to take place in Antarctica. This is one of those lapses in logic that is going to bother some people. As for John Carpenter, a guy who has been reduced to giving us [stuff]like "Ghosts of Mars," this is one of his best films.

If all the goo and air bladders and other weird movie prosthetics are replaced with CGI in the "prequel," it will suck the life out of the film.

[Mat Dolphin]

Seriously unnecessary.

[compact flash]

Hi Guy's,
It's one of the few "older" horror films that still holds up today. Watch "The Thing" on Blu-Ray, the makeup is practically flawless.

[robert]

Wow. I can't wait to see how this movie's gonna end ...

[Dave Lucas]

The 1951 original ("officially" directed by Nyby but supervised by Hawks) is a classic. Carpenter's remake a gross-out showcase (causing one patron in the theatre where I saw it to vomit). Where else can this plot go? Just what we need--remake of a remake.

[gaming memory]

Hi Guy's,
I would say this movie got under my skin and made me freak out. Its a scary thought to place it in the middle of nowhere, too.

[Guthrie25Diann]

People in all countries take the business loans from different banks, just because this is comfortable.