John Carpenter teases potential sequel to ‘The Thing’

Director John Carpenter has teased the possibility of a sequel to his 1982 sci-fi horror classic, ‘The Thing’. Speaking at Fan Expo Chicago on August 14, 2026, Carpenter stated, “We’re working on it now,” though he quickly tempered expectations by adding, “Yeah, I don’t know. We’ll see.”

This is not the first time the filmmaker has hinted at a follow-up. Carpenter previously mentioned being “sworn to secrecy” regarding a potential sequel in 2023 and made similar comments at Fan Expo Philadelphia in 2025.

In addition to the project updates, Carpenter addressed the ambiguous ending of the original film, suggesting that both characters MacReady and Childs survived the final scene. This comment provides new insight into the long-debated conclusion of the Antarctic survival story.