Kurt Russell joins The Thing Expanded documentary

The creative mastermind team behind smash hit documentaries ‘In Search of Darkness’ and the Rondo Award-winning documentary ‘Aliens Expanded’ launch the FINAL pre-order of THE THING EXPANDED with the announcement of an exclusive, never-before-seen sit-down interview with Kurt Russell who reflects on his role as MacReady in the genre-defining 1982 film, THE THING. Diving deep into the haunting and isolated world of the horror classic, director Ian Nathan joins producers Robin Block (CREATORVC), David Weiner (CREATORVC) and Josh Weiss (SYFY Wire) as they welcome fans to join the project and stake their claim at thethingexpanded.com. The last-chance pre-order for THE THING EXPANDED launches February 24 and runs until March 24, 2026.

The ultimate exploration of a cinematic classic, The Thing Expanded centers on an in-depth analysis of The Thing led by none other than John Carpenter himself. The documentary features a wealth of memories, stories, facts, rabbit-hole tangents and theories about the 1982 film and its origins and influences that Carpenter fans demand—including discussion of the 2011 prequel, comic book sequels, the original John W. Campbell Jr. novella Who Goes There? and much more.

Kurt Russell—who played the iconic role of helicopter pilot R.J. MacReady—is featured in the documentary alongside all of the film’s living cast members: Keith David (Childs), Thomas G. Waites (Windows), David Clennon (Palmer), Joel Polis (Fuchs), Richard Masur (Clark) and Peter Maloney (Bennings).

Available for pre-order now on Blu-ray and digital at thethingexpanded.com, THE THING EXPANDED features over thirty interviews—not only with members of the cast, but also with legendary director John Carpenter, cinematographer Dean Cundey, editor Todd C. Ramsay, producers Stuart Cohen and Larry Franco, and several members of Rob Bottin’s special makeup effects team. Fans have this last-chance to get their names in the credits of the film alongside John Carpenter and Kurt Russell in this cinematic legacy. The launch of the final pre-order comes on the heels of the inclusion of THE THING in the National Film Registry as a means to preserve the 1982 film’s cultural and historical relevance.

“Sitting down with Kurt Russell, the immortal Mac, for a two-hour-plus interview was truly the culmination of an extraordinary journey into an extraordinary film,” says writer-director Ian Nathan. “He was everything I knew he would be and more: funny, forthright, and full of anecdotes, as well as deep insight into both the film and, of course, John Carpenter. THE THING is finally getting the recognition that is long overdue. Ignored, even derided on its release in 1982, with its recent selection for the National Film Registry, the enduring power of Carpenter’s signature movie is no longer in question. With the incredible contributions from John, Kurt, and everyone I interviewed, I like to think that with THE THING EXPANDED we have made the definitive statement on a masterpiece.”

In addition, THE THING EXPANDED contains insights from an impressive litany of Hollywood veterans and insiders such as Frank Darabont, Guillermo del Toro, Issa López, Matt Winston, Alec Gillis, Greg Nicotero, Chuck Russell, Eli Roth, Mick Garris, and Stephen Colbert.

“THE THING EXPANDED would simply not have been complete without the participation of Kurt Russell. He and the Carpenter film are a Thing-like amalgam—a package deal that goes all the way down to a molecular level,” adds producer and co-writer Josh Weiss. “And what better way to officially close out an epic, two-year production organized across three continents than by sitting down with R.J. MacReady himself?! As Outpost 31’s Chess Wizard once said: ‘Checkmate.’”

Pre-order here. Please note that this is an affiliate link, so we will have a commission from every purchase made there.

While not quite as big as Kurt Russell, I have also contributed a couple of video segments to the project where I talk about some of my favourite scenes of the film.