The Thing Cut Three Different Endings (& They Would Have Ruined The Movie)
The Thing is probably best known for its incredibly ambiguous ending, but the film actually went through several different endings first and it's good they were cut as they would have ruined the movie. Director John Carpenter had to fight to get the film's theatrical ending into the final cut, and many fans of the horror classic are happy he did so. Although most consider its conclusion to be perfect, during production much of the crew disagreed, with several alternate endings for The Thing being written and even filmed.
The Thing follows a crew of 12 American scientists at a secluded base in Antarctica as they attempt to survive an attack by a shape-shifting alien. Referred to simply as Thing, the alien is able to perfectly mimic any lifeform it encounters, leading to distrust among the crew as any one of them could be the Thing. The film is still incredibly popular and influential, with tons of modern monster movies like The Tomorrow War paying homage to The Thing.
Related: Every John Carpenter Sci-Fi Movie Ranked
The Thing ends with only two of the initial 12 men remaining, R.J. MacReady (Kurt Russell) and Childs (Keith David). After defeating the Thing with a massive explosion, the two survivors sit together outside the burning base, neither sure that the other is human or Thing. This question is never answered, with the film implying that the two freeze to death in order to prevent the Thing from escaping Antarctica. This ending is the preferred one of John Carpenter, but writers, editors, and other crew members suggested different, less sad versions, all of which would have ruined The Thing's impact.
The first alternate ending for The Thing was never filmed, but it was the product of the film's writer Bill
Read more on screenrant.com
