The Thing is a beloved horror classic, but it wrote and filmed several different endings, all of which miss the point of the film and make it worse.
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.
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 Lancaster. Lancaster had several creative differences with Carpenter, such as wanting to keep the Thing concealed and wanting an ending closer to older versions of The Thing. The original novella that the film is based on ends with the main characters clearly victorious, and Lancaster liked the clear conclusion. While his version is similar in design, though, it is not similar in outcome. Early drafts of the script ended with MacReady and Childs clearly turning into the Thing. The pair then wait until the spring and are rescued by a helicopter. Once aboard the helicopter, they say to the pilots "Hey, which way to a hot meal?" and the film ends.
This ending was never filmed, as Carpenter was not a fan of how shallow it was. Lancaster ended up writing four different drafts of the film, one of which actually included the book's ending. Although this ending was axed early in The Thing's production, it would still be a while until the ending that people know today emerged.
Out of all of the many strange alternate versions of The Thing, this ending is one of the few that was actually filmed. This ending came about due to the input of Todd Ramsay, an editor who worked on the film. Ramsay believed that a bleak ending wouldn't test well with audiences, so he suggested that Carpenter film a happier one. Carpenter reluctantly agreed and filmed a new version.
This alternate ending once again shows MacReady being rescued by the helicopters in the spring. Once on board, he takes a blood test much like the ones the crew takes in the final film. This test proves that MacReady is not a Thing and that he is able to put his worries behind him and reenter society.
While this ending is definitely more definitive than the final version, Carpenter hated it. In an interview with Creative Screenwriting Magazine, Carpenter explains that "stylistically it would have been cheesy." With John Carpenter being a master of horror, his instinct was correct, as the ending didn't test well with audiences.
The next attempt at an ending is much more similar to the final ending but is still not quite there. The idea for this ending came about when the editors realized that they simply could not salvage the ending where MacReady was saved. In another attempt to find an ending that tested well, this alternate take was filmed. This ending shows MacReady once again sitting down in the snow, except one thing is different: Childs isn't there. This version negates the conversation between the two characters, once again completely stripping The Thing of its ambiguity.
This new ending hardly tested better with audiences, and the crew couldn't really figure out why. Carpenter has said that he believes that this ending doesn't work because the film isn't heroic. Heroic endings for horror films like Scream haven't worked and have been cut in the past, so this theory makes sense. Although crew members and audiences alike didn't like the ending, it was close to release and the film was already over budget, so the studio decided to print it for theaters. However, at the last minute, Carpenter convinced an executive producer to use the ambiguous ending that is in the final film, with the only concession being a scream which is heard during the explosion.
While it was a long road to get to The Thing's final ending, Carpenter eventually got there. Although the film didn't do well critically upon release, audiences have come to love it, with many considering the ending to be one of the film's highlights. The Thing's ambiguity is what makes the film special, with viewers still debating which crew members became Things and when. The film's ending is the greatest point of ambiguity, as it leaves so many questions unanswered. It is impossible to know if MacReady is a Thing, if Childs is a Thing, if the Thing is dead, and if the main characters ever escape Antarctica. All of these questions are up to the viewer's interpretation, which is why there is so much speculation around the movie. Mystery and distrust are powerful themes, which is why countless popular movies, TV shows, and games like Among Us have been inspired by the film. If any of the aforementioned three alternate endings would have been used, though, The Thing would have lost the ambiguity that makes it special.
John Carpenter's reshoots for The Thing didn't only save the film because they added ambiguity, though. The final ending still works better under any assumption. If both characters are humans, it adds to their heroism to show that they will freeze to death and sacrifice themselves in order to keep the Thing from escaping. If only one of them is a Thing, then it provokes questions regarding when they were turned and how the events after the final shot will play out. Finally, if they both are Things, it raises interesting questions about if a person knows that they are a Thing, recontextualizing some of the events in the movie. The Thing went through several different endings, but it eventually landed on the perfect one, cementing it as a horror classic.
