John Carpenter Talks About Directing Again: “It’s the Love of My Life”

John Carpenter is about to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and it’s about damn time. With a career spanning decades and a catalog full of cult classics, Carpenter’s mark on cinema is undeniable. From Halloween to The Thing, Escape From New York to They Live, his influence is everywhere. And yet, in true Carpenter fashion, he's not exactly basking in the spotlight.Ahead of receiving his star on April 3, the filmmaker seemed more interested in talking about his love for Los Angeles, his home for nearly six decades, than diving deep into his own filmography.But of course, the big question fans keep circling back to is this: will he ever direct again? He told Variety:“Plans? I don’t know. I would love to direct again, given the right circumstances. But I’m not the same kid anymore who will do it for any amount of money. I can’t back into a budget anymore. I’m too old. It’s too hard. But directing is the love of my life. I’ll never stop loving that.”While Hollywood has occasionally worn him down, he’s always found ways to stay creative, whether through music, comic books, or executive producing newer iterations of his past works.Still, the idea of Carpenter returning to the director’s chair is exciting. There's a generation of fans, and likely a new wave of filmmakers, who would love to see what he could do today. I sure would! He has talked about directing a Dead Space film, which would be really cool! But, who knows if something like that will eventually happen. He said:“I’m a big video game fan, so I played all the games. I was down looking at the new digital cameras, the RED, and happened to mention to them that I would love to do a Dead Space film. That just went around, and everybody said, ‘Oh, when are you gonna do it?’ I’m not gonna do it.”He then touched on the project’s existence and said that he thought that “they” have another director attached to the project. He went on to say, “And they haven’t asked me to do it. So until someone asks me, I wouldn’t do it.”Even if it’s not Dead Space, I hope someone would reach out to him about directing a movie!

Mar 26, 2025 - 15:35

John Carpenter Talks About Directing Again: “It’s the Love of My Life”

John Carpenter is about to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and it’s about damn time. With a career spanning decades and a catalog full of cult classics, Carpenter’s mark on cinema is undeniable.

From Halloween to The Thing, Escape From New York to They Live, his influence is everywhere. And yet, in true Carpenter fashion, he's not exactly basking in the spotlight.

Ahead of receiving his star on April 3, the filmmaker seemed more interested in talking about his love for Los Angeles, his home for nearly six decades, than diving deep into his own filmography.

But of course, the big question fans keep circling back to is this: will he ever direct again? He told Variety:

“Plans? I don’t know. I would love to direct again, given the right circumstances. But I’m not the same kid anymore who will do it for any amount of money. I can’t back into a budget anymore. I’m too old. It’s too hard. But directing is the love of my life. I’ll never stop loving that.”

While Hollywood has occasionally worn him down, he’s always found ways to stay creative, whether through music, comic books, or executive producing newer iterations of his past works.

Still, the idea of Carpenter returning to the director’s chair is exciting. There's a generation of fans, and likely a new wave of filmmakers, who would love to see what he could do today. I sure would!

He has talked about directing a Dead Space film, which would be really cool! But, who knows if something like that will eventually happen. He said:

“I’m a big video game fan, so I played all the games. I was down looking at the new digital cameras, the RED, and happened to mention to them that I would love to do a Dead Space film. That just went around, and everybody said, ‘Oh, when are you gonna do it?’ I’m not gonna do it.”

He then touched on the project’s existence and said that he thought that “they” have another director attached to the project. He went on to say, “And they haven’t asked me to do it. So until someone asks me, I wouldn’t do it.”

Even if it’s not Dead Space, I hope someone would reach out to him about directing a movie!