Movies
Universal to Chew Bubblegum and Kick Ass in ‘They Live’ Remake
Some remake announcements I just shrug off, some I get excited for, and then some just plain get under my skin. While I am a remake enthusiast, there are some films I consider untouchable, and if a studio is going to remake a film all I ask is that it’s different. Universal did throw us a pretty damn good remake of DAWN OF THE DEAD, so maybe a remake of John Carpenter’s They Live won’t be all that bad? Besides, Zack Snyder’s Strike Entertainment is getting involved, which can only mean good things (right?). The story also confirms that Strike is also still planning on remaking THE THING (1982), which is a remake of THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD (1951). Read on for the story and chime in on your thoughts below.“They Live” is finding life again.
John Carpenter’s cult 1988 film is getting the remake treatment from Universal and studio-based Strike Entertainment, which are in negotiations to acquire the film rights with rights holder Les Mougins.
Strike’s Marc Abraham and Eric Newman will produce, while Shep Gordon of Les Mougins and Carpenter will serve as executive producers.
The original film, part sci-fi thriller and part social satire, told the story of a down-on-his-luck construction worker (Roddy Piper) who discovers glasses that let him see aliens walking among us and controlling humanity. The man races against the clock to find a way to stop them.
The movie is known for a fight scene that lasts 51⁄22 minutes (watch it below) and for the line, “I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass … and I’m all out of bubblegum.”
No writer is on board.
Gordon, an entrepreneur and music impresario who worked with Alice Cooper and Blondie, holds the rights, having financed the film as part of a multipicture deal with Carpenter that also included “Prince of Darkness” and “Village of the Damned.” Universal distributed the film as part of an output deal Gordon constructed.
Strike, whose credits include “Bring It On” and “Children of Men,” had success in the remake arena with 2004’s update of “Dawn of the Dead.” Strike is also working on a remake of Carpenter’s “The Thing.”
Check out the infamous THEY LIVE fight scene!
A couple trapped with a zombie finds potential salvation in a horror-loving neighbor in the official trailer for Turning Point.
Lionsgate releases Turning Point on VOD and Digital on August 25, 2026.
Joshua Wagner writes and directs.
In the film, “There is danger in the night, but the true terror is inside the house. Trapped within the home of a zombie in transition, Margot and her partner in crime must find their way out before they become the ghoul’s first victims. Their only hope for survival is a bizarre neighbor with an expert knowledge of the undead and the flicker of humanity remaining in their mutating stalker.“
The bizarre neighbor here, Casper, is played by DJ Qualls (Road Trip, “Creepshow“).
Jillian Lee Garner, Mike Apple, Shane Brady (“Ballers,” Synchronic, Doctor Sleep), Lydia Hearst (The Haunting of Sharon Tate, “Z Nation,” Slayers) and Sanchita Malik (Happy Anniversary, “Love,” “Escape the Night”) also star.
Turning Point has been rated “R” for violent content, gore, language, and some drug use.