History Trivia / TheThing1982

* EasterEgg: During the kennel scene, one of the Dog-Thing's tentacles hits one of its heads in the right eye. Then the head turns to the right and growls, before looking back at the men. It requires a frame-by-frame or .12 or slower DVD viewing to catch the tentacle striking the eye. This actually explains why the Dog-Thing turns to the side and growls in that particular scene.
** Could also just be an extraordinary SpecialEffectsFailure coincidence.

** Creator/{{Universal}} originally wanted Creator/TobeHooper to direct the film due to Hooper's success with ''Film/TexasChainsawMassacre''. Under Hooper's vision, the alien in question would lack shapeshifting abilities and the plot would resemble less the original Campbell story ''Literature/WhoGoesThere'' and more ''Literature/MobyDick''. Stuart Cohen and the other producers, who wished for a more faithful adaptation, were unhappy with the script and turned down Hooper. The film production would go through more directors until the arrival of Creator/JohnCarpenter.

** Creator/Universal originally wanted Creator/TobeHooper to direct the film due to Hooper's success with ''Film/TexasChainsawMassacre. Under Hooper's vision, the alien in question would lack shapeshifting abilities and the plot would resemble less the original Campbell story ''Literature/WhoGoesThere'' and more ''Literature/MobyDick''. Stuart Cohen and the other producers, who wished for a more faithful adaptation, were unhappy with the script and turned down Hooper. The film production would go through more directors until the arrival of Creator/JohnCarpenter.

*** Though this is somewhat of a modern take on the situation. Back in '82, Russell's biggest achievements were playing the lead in ''Film/EscapeFromNewYork'' (not a financial success nor yet the CultClassic it came to be), being [[WesternAnimation/TheFoxAndTheHound the voice of an animated dog]] (in another unsuccessful movie) and playing the lead in a TV series axed after airing only 11 of its 15 episodes due to terrible ratings. In other words, he ''was'' the relative unknown face the script needed, but Carpenter was reluctant to reuse the same actor as his leading man (just like [[Creator/StevenSpielberg Spielberg]] and [[Creator/GeorgeLucas Lucas]] didn't initially want Creator/HarrisonFord to play [[Franchise/IndianaJones Indiana Jones]]). However, Kurt Russell did still have some big name draw due his earlier Disney films, and was the most stereotypically "leading man" type actor in the cast (to the point of getting full starring billing: Russell is the only actor to get billed in the opening credits).

** A deleted sequence during the scene where some of the crew members are tied down when lights in outpost turn off, causing panic between the crew for some time before Mac and Palmer manage to fix it. Creator/JohnCarpenter mentioned in DVD commentary that the "Lights out" scene was deleted because it was lighted with blue light which didn't really work in the scene.

** Creator/LeeVanCleef and Creator/PowersBoothe were considered for Garry.

*** Though this is somewhat of a modern take on the situation. Back in '82, Russell's biggest achievements were playing the lead in ''Film/EscapeFromNewYork'' (not a financial success nor yet the CultClassic it came to be), being [[Disney/TheFoxAndTheHound the voice of an animated dog]] (in another unsuccessful movie) and playing the lead in a TV series axed after airing only 11 of its 15 episodes due to terrible ratings. In other words, he ''was'' the relative unknown face the script needed, but Carpenter was reluctant to reuse the same actor as his leading man (just like [[Creator/StevenSpielberg Spielberg]] and [[Creator/GeorgeLucas Lucas]] didn't initially want Creator/HarrisonFord to play [[Franchise/IndianaJones Indiana Jones]]). However, Kurt Russell did still have some big name draw due his earlier Disney films, and was the most stereotypically "leading man" type actor in the cast (to the point of getting full starring billing: Russell is the only actor to get billed in the opening credits).

*** This is a modern take on the situation. But back in '82, Russell biggest achievements were playing lead in ''Film/EscapeFromNewYork'' (not exactly financial success nor the CultClassic it is considered today), being [[Disney/TheFoxAndTheHound a voice of an animated dog]] (in another unsuccessful movie) and playing lead in a TV series axed after airing only 11 of its 15 episodes due to terrible ratings. In other words, he was the relative unknown face the script needed, but Carpenter was reluctant to hire the same actor as his leading man (just like [[Creator/StevenSpielberg Spielberg]] and [[Creator/GeorgeLucas Lucas]] didn't want Creator/HarrisonFord to play [[Franchise/IndianaJones Indiana Jones]]).

*** This of somewhat modern take on the situation. Back in '82, Russell biggest achievements were playing lead in ''Film/EscapeFromNewYork'' (not exactly financial success nor the CultClassic it is considered today), being [[Disney/TheFoxAndTheHound a voice of an animated dog]] (in another unsuccessful movie) and playing lead in a TV series axed after airing only 11 of its 15 episodes due to terrible ratings. In other words, he was the relative unknown face the script needed, but Carpenter was reluctant to hire the same actor as his leading man (just like [[Creator/StevenSpielberg Spielberg]] and [[Creator/GeorgeLucas Lucas]] didn't want Creator/HarrisonFord to play [[Franchise/IndianaJones Indiana Jones]]).

*** This of somewhat modern take on the situation. Back in '82, Russell biggest achievements were playing lead in ''Film/EscapeFromNewYork'' (not exactly financial success nor the CultClassic it is considered today), being [[Disney/TheFoxAndTheHound a voice of an animated fox]] (in another unsuccessful movie) and playing lead in a TV series axed after airing only 11 of its 15 episodes due to terrible ratings. In other words, he was the relative unknown face the script needed, but Carpenter was reluctant to hire the same actor as his leading man (just like [[Creator/StevenSpielberg Spielberg]] and [[Creator/GeorgeLucas Lucas]] didn't want Creator/HarrisonFord to play [[Franchise/IndianaJones Indiana Jones]]).

** John Carpenter originally wanted the film to have no obvious "leading man" or central character, to preserve the sense that AnyoneCanDie (or be The Thing). While he discussed the film at length with friend and frequent collaborator Kurt Russell, Carpenter resisted hiring Russell for this reason. However, the script called for [=MacReady=] to ultimately be TheHero, and finding a relative unknown who could play the part was proving difficult (let's face it, there are only so many Sigourney Weavers out there). Finally, Carpenter decided to embrace the fact that [=MacReady=] was the lead character, and hire the best actor for the role: Kurt Russell, even if that would telegraph to the audience that [=MacReady=] would make it to the end (which he does. . . [[DownerEnding but only on a technicality]]).

** Brazilian and Portuguese; ''O Enigma De Outro Mundo'' (''The Enigma of Another World'') and ‘’Veio do outro mundo’’ (‘’It came from another world’’)

** Brazilian and Portuguese; ''O Enigma De Outro Mundo'' (''The Enigma of Another World'')

** [[spoiler:Originally, Bennings was killed with a screwdriver from behind by an unidentified person in a blue coat (presumably Blair) while he was inside the kennel. Beginning of this scene where he enters the kennel, sees someone and says "Clark?" was used for early TV cuts and it was also in deleted scenes in Special Edition of the movie. Carpenter mentioned that he wanted to make Clark look more suspicious with this scene, but after viewing the scene in early previews, it didn't fit well with rest of the movie, and it felt more like something out of Carpenter's ''Film/{{Halloween 1978}}]].

** [[spoiler:The Blair-Thing was originally shown onscreen much longer in really bad stop-motion scene, which Carpenter deleted]].

** Music/IssacHayes, Creator/ErnieHudson and Creator/CarlWeathers were amongst those considered for Childs. Hudson almost landed the role, but lost it to Creator/KeithDavid.

** Creator/ErnieHudson and Creator/CarlWeathers were amongst those considered for Childs. Hudson almost landed the role, but lost it to Creator/KeithDavid.

** Music/IssacHayes, Creator/ErnieHudson and Creator/CarlWeathers were amongst those considered for Childs. Hudson almost landed the role, but lost it to Creator/KeithDavid.

** Creator/JayLeno and Creator/GaryShandling read for parts in the film as it was customary of studios to seek out stand up comics as the next potential up and comers.

** Music/IssacHayes and Creator/ErnieHudson were amongst those considered for Childs. He almost landed the role, but lost it to Creator/KeithDavid. Creator/CarlWeathers was also considered.

** Creator/ErnieHudson was amongst those considered for Childs. He almost landed the role, but lost it to Creator/KeithDavid. Creator/CarlWeathers was also considered.

** Creator/NickNolte turned down the role of [=MacReady=], as did Creator/JeffBridges. Bill Lancaster wrote the script with Creator/ClintEastwood or Creator/HarrisonFord in the role.

** Creator/ErnieHudson was amongst those considered for Childs. He almost landed the role, but lost it to Creator/KeithDavid.

* BoringButPractical: The alien blood was made to "move" simply by tilting the table.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: The film's original choice of composer was Music/JerryGoldsmith, but he passed.
** Creator/NickNolte turned down the role of [=MacReady=], as did Creator/JeffBridges.
** Creator/ClintEastwood was considered for [=MacReady=].
** Creator/LeeVanCleef was considered for Garry.

** Creator/WilliamDaniels and Brian Dennehy were considered for Copper. Dennehy nearly got the part, but then Richard Dysart was cast at the last minute.
** Creator/DonaldPleasence was the original choice for the character of Blair. Pleasence was unable to perform the role due to a scheduling conflict.

** Danish, ''Det grusomme udefra'' (''The Cruel Outside'')

** Creator/ErnieHudson was amongst thse considered for Childs. He almost landed the role, but lost it to Creator/KeithDavid.

** Creator/BernieCasey, Music/IsaacHayes, Creator/GeoffreyHolder, Creator/ErnieHudson, and Carl Weathers were all considered for the role of Childs. Hudson almost landed the role, but lost it to Creator/KeithDavid.