NECA is releasing a new figure to celebrate the 40th anniversary of John Carpenter’s The Thing, recreating the movie’s iconic poster in plastic form.
NECA is releasing a unique new toy for John Carpenter’s The Thing by turning the film’s poster into a detailed figure. Carpenter’s 1982 movie is a remake of the 1951 film The Thing From Another World, which itself was based on the novella Who Goes There? by author John W. Campbell. Carpenter’s movie was hated upon release back in the ’80s but has since become one of his most popular films, right up there with Halloween, The Fog, and Escape From New York. The Thing revolves around a group of researchers in Antarctica who encounter a creature that kills their crew members before taking their appearance.
Like many ’80s horror movies, The Thing had a unique poster to advertise its release. The now-iconic poster was designed and painted by Drew Struzan, who also designed posters for other blockbusters like Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Back to the Future. The poster was created in 24 hours, and with Struzan not having seen the movie or getting much direction from Universal, the poster features an unidentified man with light glowing from his face. The film starred Kurt Russell (MacReady), Keith David (Childs), and Wilford Brimley (Dr. Blair), yet none of them were featured in the original poster.
NECA is now giving The Thing’s iconic poster the plastic treatment by turning the artwork into an action figure. The Thing’s 40th Anniversary figure stands about 7 inches tall and comes with interchangeable faceplates as well as an LED light to effectively recreate Struzan’s poster. The toy is a Comic-Con exclusive selling for $50, but NECA will also be putting a limited stock on their website available for preorder on June 3. Check out images of the figure from NECA’s announcement on Instagram below:
Click here to view the post on Instagram
Fans who want this collectible will need to act fast to get one. Luckily NECA is making The Thing figure available to people who can’t attend Comic-Con this year, but given the limited supply, this figure will sell out quickly on their website. It’s hard to guess how many NECA will have at Comic-Con so trying to preorder the toy online is the best way to secure one. $50 is more than most NECA figures retail for; they usually range from $35-40. However, since it’s a convention exclusive, resales of The Thing poster figure will likely spike in price online after Comic-Con.
NECA is no stranger to horror merchandise, with the toy distributor having a number of licenses to the biggest horror franchises, including A Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, and Friday the 13th, to name a few. Nearly every major horror character has been turned into a NECA figure, but the newest The Thing toy is one of the most unique and creative ones they have put out. Turning the poster into a figure is a clever idea, especially since the art features an unnamed character. The Thing is being celebrated this year for its 40th anniversary, and NECA releasing this toy is a great way to honor one of Carpenter’s most memorable films.
Source: NECA
About The Author
