Nacho Cerda is one of only a handful of contemporary genre directors whose name alone will invest me in a project regardless of what it actually is. Aftermath is an artistic masterpiece, and I’m not one to toss the term lightly. That short film will literally fuck your eyeballs out of their sockets, shove them in backwards and make you stare in horrific bafflement at the grotesque vastness of your own impermanence. Plus, ya know, Genesis is pretty cool and The Abandoned was the best thing to come out of Afterdark’s 8 Films to Die For.
The man hasn’t attached himself to a new project yet, but in the latest Rue Morgue he drops this bombshell:
"And it might sound weird but there’s a project in Hollywood that I’d really like to find out more about - which is the prequel to The Thing. This is something that I have a few interesting ideas for: the Norwegian story. Whatever happened to that camp? Whatever happened when they found that space ship? And everything until it ends with those two guys running from the camp following that dog. What happened in between? I think that would be quite interesting to develop."
Now, I haven’t read much about The Thing retooling, so I don’t know if this is the concept the studio is going with or not, but it damn well better be. The opener to John Carpenter’s The Thing is a brilliant device. It introduces you to the mystery of the new story with the closing of a story you never get the privilege to know. It works fantastically and while I honestly never thought, "Man, they should really make a movie about that" - or even, "Man, they should really remake The Thing" - Cerda’s approach makes perfect sense. Absolute, perfect sense.
It actually makes too much sense, to the point where I’d normally say studios aren’t this smart. But the pedigree behind The Thing prequel makes me think this may, oh God it may, actually happen. The studio is Strike Entertainment; aka the company behind 2004’s Dawn of the Dead, Slither, 300 and Children of Men. Perhaps the most mainstream anti-mainstream studio there is. Their major releases have had nothing but success, critically and commercially, so I doubt they’ll go slumming this time around.
The writer is none other than Ronald D. Moore, the big brain behind "Battlestar Galactica". This man could write about two rocks starring at each other for an hour and it would be the most intense anthropomorphic rock starring ever imagined. I’ve no doubt he’ll pen quality material whether he explores the Norwegian story or not. Oh, and if you’re not watching the show, you’re missing a revolution in television quality.
I haven’t read Nacho Cerda’s lust for this project anywhere other than that single paragraph in Rue Morgue. I haven’t even read anything about a possible director for the flick, but if he is actively pursuing then this should be headline news. For shame actual horror news sites for not picking up on it!
Don’t break my heart Strike Entertainment. Planets are aligning.
Peter, please remember what happened the last time you idolized a horror film director. Don’t frack this up for the rest of us.
I love you too, Peter.
Oh, God, you’re right! I take it all back!
(at least Cerda has an art, Roth just had a contagiously energetic commentary track)
still haven’t seen any of Cerda’s output.
yes, you may flame me now.
but from what i’ve heard about the man’s work, this project could be downright awesome.
also, we need more interesting films concerning established material. fewer remakes, more prequels and recontextualizations. diversify, people.
yes, take the name. but don’t just regurgitate and/or skewer… give it a spin. the old “in your own words” treatment, and try not to let those words be monosyllabic, poorly chosen, or delivered with lousy enunciation - i’m looking at you, mr. zombie.
i, for one, wouldn’t mind seeing that F13 prequel/remake/sequel thing come to life from all the jibber-jabber that goes on about it.
that is, if they can get somebody with vision and direction to give it that life. so far, i’m not impressed with that liebesman dude.
…
sorry… sidetrack.
yeah, let cerda do THE THING #0.
somebody fire up a petition.
Not many people have. I like the vibe of the Abandoned more than most people and perhaps more than the film deserves, but his short films are where its at. Astounding.
Looking at his work, you wouldn’t think he’d be the right man for the job. But considering he rarely makes movies and when he does, its something he WANTS to do, not just for a paycheck. So if Cerda wants to do The Thing - or at least talk with a studio about the Norwegian camp - I truly hope no one gets in his way.