The Thing 2 and Halloween 9: A recent interview in Empire Magazine has John Carpenter talking about the rumored sequel to The Thing, and the possibilites of the director returning to the Halloween franchise...

What’s with all these rumours about The Thing 2?

I have a great story for Part 2, which kicks off with the two characters left alive at the end of the first one. I’m interested in doing it. Unfortunately, I don’t think Universal is. Well, it’s interested in doing a sequel, but it’s not interested in having me direct it! You know, the studio will end up getting some commercials hotshot to do it, and that’ll be that. I don’t care. I’m certainly not going to beg. These people didn’t even get the original, despite the fact it’s my favourite movie of my own. Thing was that The Thing came out just after ET, which became a huge hit. The Thing’s message was the absolute opposite to E.T’s. Steven Spielberg said at the time that, “the audience needed an uplifting cry”. The guy was on the money. He’s an astute businessman that Spielberg. He had a huge hit on his hands, while we performed really poorly at the box office, so Universal then unceremoniously threw me off Firestarter, which I was prepping at the time. I could have done something really fucking good with that [sighs]. At least, though, The Thing has been really well received in its later years. That’s a pleasant finger up at Universal, and a comforting thought in my later years.

Given the recent Freddy vs Jason picture, how would Michael Myers do in a three-way battle royal?

He’d kick their asses. Well, the original Michael, my Michael, he would. The modern Michael wouldn’t stand a chance. These days all the Halloween movies have Xeroxed the formula to the point that it just isn’t scary anymore. It’s depressing.

Would you ever come back and direct a Halloween sequel?

Well, my motto is : never say never. I have some ideas up my sleeve that would fucking blow you away. Watch this Space.

Thanks to Moviehole for the heads up.