The Thing - Expanded: The Ultimate Documentary Companion (Digital + Blu-ray) (CreatorVC Crowd Funded Project) [USA]

[steelmybeatingheart]

Release date: October - December 2025
Purchase link: The Thing Expanded (Ends September 2nd 2024 at midnight)
Price: $49 (Digital Only) - $99 (Standard Bluray) - $139 (Bluray & T-Shirt) - $1500 (Associate Producer) - $3000 (Producer) - $6000 (Executive Producer)
Notes: Crowd funded release, from the same people as Aliens Expanded: A New Species of Documentary, Opportunities to purchase different levels of involvement.

The Thing Expanded - original | creatorvc

www.creatorvc.com

 

[Lenny Nero]

The Thing was one of those Universal DVDs that got a great, feature-length documentary 20 years ago, that they've been carrying over to BD and UHD, and even hacking it into pieces to make a dumb gimmicky 'picture-in-picture' video-commentary.
I haven't seen it in a while, but I don't see what can be made and said now, 20 more years later, when even more is lost, forgotten, people died, or so old it's painful to look at them, mainly realizing your own age and mortality...

 

[paulboland]

The Thing was one of those Universal DVDs that got a great, feature-length documentary 20 years ago, that they've been carrying over to BD and UHD, and even hacking it into pieces to make a dumb gimmicky 'picture-in-picture' video-commentary.
I haven't seen it in a while, but I don't see what can be made and said now, 20 more years later, when even more is lost, forgotten, people died, or so old it's painful to look at them, mainly realizing your own age and mortality...

John Carpenter’s The Thing: Terror Takes Shape" documentary that's on UHD discs is not the U-Control picture-in picture video version it's the separate full documentary
UHD Disc
Audio Commentary with director John Carpenter and actor Kurt Russell
John Carpenter’s The Thing: Terror Takes Shape" documentary
Outtakes
Theatrical Trailer


It was the Universal USA/Canada Blu-ray disc releases that only included the U-Control pip version
U-Control" feature: Picture-in-Picture commentary (featuring the "John Carpenter's The Thing: Terror Takes Shape" documentary)


All other countries releases the Universal 2008 Blu-ray disc has the separate full documentary as an extra included.

 

[steelmybeatingheart]

major updates - release dates, purchase options, participation deadlines and more! plus John Carpenter confirmed involved. will get OP updated asap.

The Ultimate The Thing Fan Experience: Join a year of online events culminating in the ultimate companion documentary with your name in the credits PLUS exclusive physical merch. Ends Sept 2nd [2024] at midnight.

Experience Begins: September

Estimated Documentary Release: Q4 2025



NEW The Thing Expanded Trailer PLUS John Carpenter Joins (Order Your Copy Today)!

Our The Thing Expanded campaign is live and we are delighted to announce that the legendary John Carpenter has joined the cast!

Click below to watch the trailer then reserve your copy to get access to our year of online events, exclusive merchandise, and get your name in the credits alongside John Carpenter!

Watch the trailer and more here.

Join a Year-Long Expedition: 20 Hours of Online Events!

We're taking our appreciation of The Thing to the next level with a year-long expedition into what makes The Thing so special! Order now to join 20 hours of online events, including live Q&As with The Thing cast & crew - what question will you ask?

In addition to the live Q&As, you'll also get access to our vidcasts, production events, and the opportunity to view and feedback on roughcuts of the documentary!




These live events are only available when you order The Thing Expanded! Access closes at midnight on September 2nd!

Grab The Thing Expanded Collectible Merchandise

We've got something for everyone: Choose from our Digital tier (no physical merchandise), our Blu-ray tier (below), or upgrade to add a T-shirt. You can also get an Associate Producer, Producer, or Executive Producer credit!



All tiers include your name in the credits and access to our events. Click below to check out the different options:

Order here (same page as video)

 

[Lenny Nero]

There should be a physical edition option only, without a digital soundtrack, without posters and a patch and all that crap, maybe even without a credit - just the Blu-ray with a booklet, but much cheaper, than $100...

 

[error404ts]

major updates - release dates, purchase options, participation deadlines and more! plus John Carpenter confirmed involved. will get OP updated asap.

The Ultimate The Thing Fan Experience: Join a year of online events culminating in the ultimate companion documentary with your name in the credits PLUS exclusive physical merch. Ends Sept 2nd [2024] at midnight.

Experience Begins: September

Estimated Documentary Release: Q4 2025

View attachment 583515

NEW The Thing Expanded Trailer PLUS John Carpenter Joins (Order Your Copy Today)!

Our The Thing Expanded campaign is live and we are delighted to announce that the legendary John Carpenter has joined the cast!

Click below to watch the trailer then reserve your copy to get access to our year of online events, exclusive merchandise, and get your name in the credits alongside John Carpenter!

View attachment 583516

Watch the trailer and more here.

Join a Year-Long Expedition: 20 Hours of Online Events!

We're taking our appreciation of The Thing to the next level with a year-long expedition into what makes The Thing so special! Order now to join 20 hours of online events, including live Q&As with The Thing cast & crew - what question will you ask?

In addition to the live Q&As, you'll also get access to our vidcasts, production events, and the opportunity to view and feedback on roughcuts of the documentary!

View attachment 583517


These live events are only available when you order The Thing Expanded! Access closes at midnight on September 2nd!

Grab The Thing Expanded Collectible Merchandise

We've got something for everyone: Choose from our Digital tier (no physical merchandise), our Blu-ray tier (below), or upgrade to add a T-shirt. You can also get an Associate Producer, Producer, or Executive Producer credit!

View attachment 583518

All tiers include your name in the credits and access to our events. Click below to check out the different options:

Order here (same page as video)

Will this be in 4K, HDR, or will it be standard 1080P?

 

[steelmybeatingheart]

Will this be in 4K, HDR, or will it be standard 1080P?

good question. it's not officially stated yet, to my knowledge. the mock up shows a standard blu-ray, but i don't think we can be certain from that, at this early stage. i do not yet have the 'Aliens Expanded' set in physical copy yet, so canot compare that either. so, to be confirmed...

 

[paulboland]

Will this be in 4K, HDR, or will it be standard 1080P?

The documentary is HD not 4K
Digital and Blu-ray releases only and is a crowdfunded release

Link below has the purchase options

The Thing Expanded

The Thing Expanded is the ultimate The Thing fan experience! Join a year of online events culminating in an incredible companion documentary with your name in the credits PLUS exclusive physical merch. Ends Sept 2nd at midnight.

thethingexpanded.com

 

[paulboland]

good question. it's not officially stated yet, to my knowledge. the mock up shows a standard blu-ray, but i don't think we can be certain from that, at this early stage. i do not yet have the 'Aliens Expanded' set in physical copy yet, so canot compare that either. so, to be confirmed...

Aliens Expanded documentary crowdfunded release is HD digital and Blu-ray release it's not a 4K release

 

[Lenny Nero]

Will this be in 4K, HDR, or will it be standard 1080P?

Why would you even want a documentary - people sitting around talking, in so called '4K', and HDR...

 

[Chievera]

The better to see the crumbs in Carpenter’s beard of course!

 

[steelmybeatingheart]

major updates - release dates, purchase options, participation deadlines and more! plus John Carpenter confirmed involved. will get OP updated asap.

The Ultimate The Thing Fan Experience: Join a year of online events culminating in the ultimate companion documentary with your name in the credits PLUS exclusive physical merch. Ends Sept 2nd [2024] at midnight.

Experience Begins: September

Estimated Documentary Release: Q4 2025

View attachment 583515

NEW The Thing Expanded Trailer PLUS John Carpenter Joins (Order Your Copy Today)!

Our The Thing Expanded campaign is live and we are delighted to announce that the legendary John Carpenter has joined the cast!

Click below to watch the trailer then reserve your copy to get access to our year of online events, exclusive merchandise, and get your name in the credits alongside John Carpenter!

View attachment 583516

Watch the trailer and more here.

Join a Year-Long Expedition: 20 Hours of Online Events!

We're taking our appreciation of The Thing to the next level with a year-long expedition into what makes The Thing so special! Order now to join 20 hours of online events, including live Q&As with The Thing cast & crew - what question will you ask?

In addition to the live Q&As, you'll also get access to our vidcasts, production events, and the opportunity to view and feedback on roughcuts of the documentary!

View attachment 583517


These live events are only available when you order The Thing Expanded! Access closes at midnight on September 2nd!

Grab The Thing Expanded Collectible Merchandise

We've got something for everyone: Choose from our Digital tier (no physical merchandise), our Blu-ray tier (below), or upgrade to add a T-shirt. You can also get an Associate Producer, Producer, or Executive Producer credit!

View attachment 583518

All tiers include your name in the credits and access to our events. Click below to check out the different options:

Order here (same page as video)

@paulboland or AN Other moderator / contributor, if possible, could you please update the OP with the new information in the post above? i do not have editing rights for the OP. much appreciated.

all, you have until midnight Sept 2nd if you wish to sign up and purchase early for the 'year of fan experiences.' it's not clear to me if you can purchase the blu ray or digital version after Sept 2nd, but since you can but all of their other older products separately now, i would anticipate that you can.

 

[steelmybeatingheart]

@paulboland or AN Other moderator / contributor, if possible, could you please update the OP with the new information in the post above? i do not have editing rights for the OP. much appreciated.

all, you have until midnight Sept 2nd if you wish to sign up and purchase early for the 'year of fan experiences.' it's not clear to me if you can purchase the blu ray or digital version after Sept 2nd, but since you can but all of their other older products separately now, i would anticipate that you can.

many thanks whichever mod. updated the OP.

 

[jaws finatic]

This proves once and for all that The Thing had utters for milking.

Not sure why they don't just have a stand alone blu ray available. Maybe later after all the milk cans are flowing over.

 

[Punker76]

So, the same as Aliens Expanded then.... Overpriced without the option of a reasonably priced Blu-ray only edition.

Pass.

 

[Chievera]

Date for physical: June 2026

 

[Lenny Nero]

The links in the headpost now lead to the Aliens documentary Blu-rays.
Is The Thing going to be available again, like Aliens? I didn't buy it for $100 – that was too much...

 

[steelmybeatingheart]

The links in the headpost now lead to the Aliens documentary Blu-rays.
Is The Thing going to be available again, like Aliens? I didn't buy it for $100 – that was too much...

thanks for the heads up. yes, the homepage splash seem to have moved over for Aliens, probably because of that 40th anniversary re-release.

mods, could you please add into the OP the current available links? The Thing Expanded OG original sales page = The Thing Expanded | creatorvc and, if desired, one of the follow up, pre-production pages = The Thing Expanded - original | creatorvc

The Thing Expanded is the only one of their releases not currently available in their digital release shop, again i assume because the digital & physical copies are just being emailed & mailed out to its supporters/'investors' (i received my digital version in the last week). with Aliens Expanded, once they had all been mailed out to investors, some became available to buy again online.

no idea if The Thing Expanded will have a physical re-release, sorry: Aliens Expanded was not originally flagged as having one, but the doc had a good reception, and the anniversary was a good opportunity. i imagine it will depend on the doc's reception and buzz. i was fortunate enough to review & feed back on a workprint / work in progress version of The Thing Expanded, before Kurt Russell's involvement and subsequent no doubt notable changes, and it was an excellent doc even then.

physical copies tend to be advertised at various times to the Creator VC mailing list, although currently the shop mainly seems to sell the digital versions. these are considerably cheaper, but of course they are not physical editions.