The only sequels John Carpenter would consider making: “Never say never in this damn business”
It goes without saying that filmmakers who specialise in genre fare tend to make fewer sequels than those who prioritise straightforward drama. Few directors mastered horror and fantasy to the same extent as John Carpenter, who showed remarkable restraint in refusing to return to the well.
The only sequel he ever made was Escape from LA, which wasn’t released until a decade and a half after its predecessor. Sure, The Thing was technically a hybrid of remake and adaptation, Assault on Precinct 13 copied Rio Bravo‘s homework, and Village of the Damned was a do-over; but Carpenter tried to avoid stepping on his own toes.
It would be nice if Hollywood treated his filmography with the same respect, though, after the industry became obsessed with overhauling his best work. Assault on Precinct 13, The Fog, and The Thing have been remade, Christine has been on the agenda for years, Dwayne Johnson has been circling Big Trouble in Little China for what feels like forever, a new spin on Escape from New York is in the works, and then there’s the entire Halloween franchise.
Kurt Russell’s Snake Plissken remains the only Carpenter protagonist to have two bites at the cherry, but there are a couple more characters he’d be open to revisiting. “I might be able to do a little bit more with Prince of Darkness, believe it or not,” he told Film Ink. “I think I could.”
His supernatural horror isn’t obvious sequel bait, but the second title on the list is one that Carpenter fans would have loved to see. “I’d like to check in on Jack Burton, too; I don’t know what he’s up to now,” he said. “I’m a little worried about him. I don’t know what else you could do with They Live. Maybe send the aliens back? Never say never in this damn business.”
It’s been over 15 years since Carpenter’s last feature, and The Ward was far from the ideal note to cap off a stellar career, but it looks like it’ll be his directorial epitaph. The legendary director hasn’t shown any inclination to get back into filmmaking, and when his side hustle as a composer keeps him booked, busy, and creatively fulfilled. At the same time, his video game obsession guarantees his remaining moments are otherwise engaged, it’s hard to see him coming back.
History has shown that the characters Carpenter helped create and the stories he told are always in danger of being repurposed for a new generation, and the reboot of Big Trouble in Little China that nobody wants or the next reinvention of Halloween that not a soul is asking for will likely be the closest audiences get to seeing the icon’s name on the big screen again.
