Where was The Thing filmed?
1982
City Locations
Juneau; Salmon Glacier; Hyder, Tongass National Forest; Kimberley; Stewart; Universal Studios Hollywood.
Location Types
American, House, NatureScapes, Retro, Rustic
Location Styles
Americana/Anywhere America, Boat Style, Bungalow, Creole, Dilapidated/Neglected
About The Thing
Produced by David Foster and Lawrence Turman, The Thing was released by Universal Pictures in 1982. Somewhere in Antarctica, a sled dog is chased by a helicopter to a research station by a couple of Norwegians. The Americans in the station watch on as one of them accidentally blows up the other and the helicopter. As the Norwegian shoots at the dog and shouts in a foreign language, he gets shot out by Garry (Donald Moffat), the station commander, out of self-defense. R.J. MacReady (Kurt Russell) and Dr. Cooper (Richard Dysart) are sent to the Norwegian base for investigation.
They discover the charred ruins of a malformed humanoid, which they took back to the American base. On investigation, they find that it is a set of human organs. The sled dog, after being kenneled, metamorphoses and absorbs (imitates) other dogs.
The creature was incinerated by the team. It was discovered that this creature can imitate many organisms. The team is led to an excavation site with the aid of the data that was obtained from the Norwegian base. This site contained an old alien spacecraft, which was estimated to be a hundred thousand years old.
For sabotaging the vehicles and the radio to make escape impossible, Blair (A. Wilford Brimley) is imprisoned. All faith in Garry's leadership is lost when the men find out that the blood that is meant for testing is missing. As MacReady assumes command, they find the burnt corpse, concluding that it committed suicide to avoid being assimilated. As MacReady got abandoned by Naul (T.K. Carter) in the snowstorm, the team debated if he should be allowed back to the base, with fear that he might be assimilated.
However, he breaks in. Norris (Charles Hallahan) seemingly had a heart attack, only for Copper's arms to be chopped off after Norris's chest turns into a huge mouth. The Norris-Thing is incinerated by MacReady. Then, he suggests that everyone's blood is tested with a hot wire to observe the reaction against heat. MacReady kills Clark as he charges at him with a scalpel.
Palmer (David Clennon) failed the test, and the Palmer-thing breaks free and infects Windows (Thomas G. Waites). Then, MacReady is forced to burn them both. As Childs (Keith David) goes missing after he is left on guard when the others go to test Blair, the power generator gets damaged. As a result, there is no heat, and the men conclude that the lack of escape forces the thing into hibernation. As a result, they set out on destroying the station.
However, the detonator is broken by the Blair thing as it transforms into a huge monster. MacReady destroys the station with dynamite. Childs returns claiming to have been lost in the storm as he pursued Blair. As they froze, they agreed on the downsides of their distrust.
The Thing Locations
The development of the movie began as early as the mid-1970s when an adaptation of the 1938 movie, "who goes there was?" was suggested to Universal Pictures. Before then, an adaptation of the aforementioned movie was made in the 1951 movie, "The Thing from Another World." This movie featured numerous stars in the cast including Wilford Brimley, Kurt Russell, T.K. Carter, Keith David, David Clennon, Charles Hallahan, and Richard Dysart.
The thing follows the exploits of a team of researchers located in Antarctica and they come across an otherworldly life form. This movie was released in June 1982 and is considered by many to be an all-time horror movie. The movie was shot in British Columbia, the United States, and Alaska. The shooting of the movie also took place at Universal Studios Hollywood.
The movie was filmed in Juneau, Hyder, Salmon Glacier, Kimberley, Stewart, Universal Studios Hollywood, and Tongass National Forest. It is no stretch to affirm that bringing Hollywood to these locations made them more popular. As a result, if you are an ardent movie lover and you wish to enjoy a first-hand experience of the site of your favorite scenes in the movie, then some of the places to watch out for are introduced.
Fun fact:
John Carpenter confessed that The Thing represents his personal favorite among all his movies.
Norwegians in a helicopter chase a sled dog scene in The Thing
Stewart, British Columbia
In this scene, a couple of Norwegians chase a sled dog to a station of researchers. As the pilot accidentally blows the helicopter and his passenger, he tries to shoot the dog but shot one of the researchers as he spoke a foreign language. In defense, the station commander, Garry shot him dead.
"George, are you okay?" MacReady asked. George replied, "yeah, yeah, I'm okay."
The men go out to extinguish the fire with the extinguisher, and MacReady remarked, "first godda*n week of winter."
This location, as well as its surrounding mountains, is renowned for its long glacier runs. It also boasts some of the best tree skiing you will ever come across anywhere. With just 500 residents, this town represents a major attraction that is worth visiting for many tourists. Some of the possible activities in the city include fishing and enjoying a panoramic view of the wide-open space. The notable gold rush town can be accessed by road or air.
Americans try to visit the Norwegian station base scene in The Thing
Stewart Airport, Stewart, British Columbia
This scene begins as the researchers assembled to investigate the Norwegian station. MacReady is the American pilot that will fly them to the other station. He looks at the sky as he is told to get his gear on, wondering how possible it is to fly in such a condition. Dr. Cooper tells MacReady, "Mac, it may not clear up for a week. We are the closest to them."
The latter replies, "it's fine by me. I'm just letting you know we are taking a chance." After careful consideration, he agrees to fly. Then, they leave for the Norwegian station.
If you wish to visit a scene with a picture-perfect view, then this is the perfect destination for you. The stunning aesthetics of the glacier-capped mountains, tall trees, and wide ocean should not be missed. What more can you ask for?
You can also immerse yourself in remarkable scenery that includes hiking and fishing. Other fun activities, such as canoeing, and kayaking are possible at this destination. This location of your favorite scene offers you a lot to experience. To visit, you can access the area by road via the highway, by boat, or by air.
The American team lands at the Norwegian station scene in The Thing
Salmon Glacier, British Columbia
The scene began as MacReady and Dr. Copper landed at the Norwegian station. "Anybody there? Hey Sweden." MacReady shouts. "They're not Swedish, Mac. They're Norwegian." Dr. Copper replies. As they find no one around, they move around the station.
Then, they quickly realize something happened there. They discovered a portable video unit in Norwegian, which the Doctor kept with him for further investigation. They discover a huge piece of ice, which Copper speculates could be the fossil or remains of an animal buried in the ice and is chopped out. On their way out, they discovered what is left of a burnt humanoid, which they carried with them to their station.
The Salmon Glacier ranks as one of the biggest in Canada. The location of this scene is a remnant of the last Fraser glaciation, a period that was known to be at its peak around 13,500 years ago. You can visit this location for a self-guided tour. Its amazing aesthetic view does not depend on the weather.
If you wish to visit the site of your favorite scene, then you have nothing to worry about. It is easily accessible by road. After all, it is the largest road-accessible glacier on the planet.
The Americans go to the huge excavation site scene in The Thing
Juneau, Alaska
The scene begins with the team watching a clip of Norwegians planting termite charges on a large excavation site. Then, they decide to visit this site to know what's there. As they land there, they quickly move closer to the site.
After discovering the huge alien spacecraft, MacReady says, "Jesus, how long do you figure this has been in the ice?" Norris replies, "well, the backscatter effect's been bringing things up from way down around here for a long time. I'd say… I'd say the ice it's buried in is 100,000 years old, at least."
The location of this scene is the capital city of Alaska. It is a city with a fascinating history. An interesting fact about this city is that there are 18 hours and 18 minutes of daylight on June 21 (summer solstice) every year. On the other hand, there are just 6 hours and 25 minutes of daylight on the winter solstice.
If you love eagles, then you must know that Juneau is home to one of the largest concentrations of bald eagles across the globe. You will also find more than 130 miles of hiking trails. Tourism represents one of the major industries in Juneau. As a result, there are other attractions in the city worth experiencing. If you wish to visit, access is mainly by flight.
The team considers whether to allow MacReady in or not scene in The Thing
Kimberley, British Columbia
The scene where this location was used begins with MacReady and Naul finding Fuchs's burnt corpse. They decide he killed himself to avoid being assimilated. Naul abandons Mac and runs to tell the other team he is infected. As they decide on whether to let him in or not, Mac said, "anyone messes with me and the whole camp goes." Eventually, he forces his way in.
Norris seemingly has a heart attack but transforms into the Norris-Thing and bites off Copper's hands as he tries to defibrillate him. MacReady incinerates the Norris-Thing.
Kimberley is a truly special place in British Columbia. Tourists of all ages can get exposed to lakes, mountains, and shops all around the city. Besides this, the food scene is remarkable and there are numerous top-class restaurants you can visit. With an opportunity to enjoy limitless adventure, as well as a rich town history, savor all magic moments everywhere you go. Visiting this place is possible by ferry or by air.
The team goes to test Blair scene in The Thing
Hyder, Alaska
When the team tries to test Blair, they quickly find that he has escaped. They see a flying saucer that has been built with the vehicle component. When they return, they can't find Childs and the power generator is damaged. As a result, the men have no heat. MacReady suggests that the Thing wants to hibernate in the freezing condition, and he said, "whether we make it or not, we can't let that thing freeze again. Maybe we just warm things a little around here."
The location where this scene was shot is known to boast more than 100,000 visitors annually. Do you wish to enjoy some of the tastiest seafood? Then, Hyder is a great place to be. You should also savor the aesthetics of lofty peaks covered by glaciers. Getting there is not difficult. The location is the southernmost area that can be accessed by car in Alaska.
Conclusion
You can find many of the film shoot locations in different cities in Alaska and British Columbia. For a very long time, mankind has believed that we are not alone in the universe. This movie is one of the numerous movies that stress this fact.
Besides this, many of the locations used in the movie have been sites for scenes in other movies. Insomnia (2002) and the courage of Kavik, the Wolf Dog (1980) have scenes shot in Hyder, Alaska. Likewise, Baywatch: White Thunder at Glacier Bay (1998), Wildlike (2014), and Wildboyz (2003–2006) are some of the movies shot in Juneau, Alaska.
In addition, some of the movies with scenes filmed in Kimberley, British Columbia include One Week (2008), Refuge in the Rockies (2018), and hunt for the mad trapper (2013). You shouldn't miss visiting these amazing locations.