40 years since he left R.J. MacReady in the snow, John Carpenter might have an idea or two on how to continue his sci-fi horror masterpiece The Thing.

In an interview with Fandom celebrating the 4K Ultra HD release of Escape from L.A., Carpenter was asked which movie from his iconic filmography list he'd want to see receive a follow-up. Listing Prince of Darkness and The Thing as examples, the cult director leaned more toward the latter. "I just think there's another bit of a story to tell there, which I'm not going to tell you about," he explained. "But there have been some discussions about The Thing and what we could do because, as far as we know, both those two main characters – Childs [Keith David] and MacReady [Kurt Russell] — are still alive. They were alive at the end of The Thing, so maybe they're still alive." However, when asked whether the idea would pique Russell's interest, he simply replied, "I don't know. Maybe."

RELATED: The Thing Theory Makes the John Carpenter Film's Greatest Enemy a Victim

A remake of 1951's The Thing From Another World, Carpenter's 1982 version of The Thing was widely panned by critics upon release but has since been recognized as an influential cult classic in the horror genre. The Thing follows an Antarctic-based American research team who unwittingly lets an extraterrestrial being into its base, later discovering it to be capable of imitating any organic life form. This revelation soon breeds deep paranoia and mistrust among the team, with Russell's MacReady taking charge in order to root out the creature. Future praise for The Thing would be directed not only toward its claustrophobic atmosphere and Russell and David's performances but also the grotesque practical effects used to bring the alien's transformations to life. A prequel to The Thing -- also titled The Thing -- came out in 2011 and detailed how the alien was originally discovered, but failed to garner similar critical acclaim.

RELATED: The Firestarter Remake Gives John Carpenter Some Much-Deserved Movie Justice

Following its release, The Thing's story would be continued in other media. These included multiple comic book sequels published during the 1990s and, in 2002, a video game sequel (also titled The Thing) for PlayStation 2, Xbox and PC, which received positive reviews.

Despite not directing a theatrical film since 2010's The Ward, Carpenter served as executive producer and composer for 2018's retroactive Halloween sequel (similarly re-titled Halloween) and its follow-up Halloween Kills. He'll also compose the score for Firestarter, the latest adaptation of Stephen King's 1980 horror book. Carpenter has been vocal about his love for certain video games, praising Halo Infinite as his favorite Halo entry and, most recently, lauding Horizon Forbidden West's Ashly Burch for her performance as Aloy.

KEEP READING: Halloween Ends' Jamie Lee Curtis Begins Filming on the Slasher Sequel

Source: Fandom