How Universal Pictures’ “The Thing” Was Transformed into Funko Fusion

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A shape-shifting alien that synthesizes disparate life forms into nightmarish versions of themselves is rearing its head at a new target. In our upcoming game, Funko Fusion, Funko Pop! collectibles will transform Universal Pictures’ “The Thing” into something otherworldly.

Funko Fusion features over 20 pop-culture crossovers such as “Jurassic World,” “Back to the Future,” “Jaws,” “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World,” “Battlestar Galactica,” and more from Universal Pictures’ extensive vault (and other surprises too!), and is set for release on September 13, 2024, for Xbox Series X|S.

Combining Funko Pop! collectibles and a horror movie classic into a video game may sound unusual, but here at 10:10 Games we revel in that surprise and novelty. Our talented team, formed around a core of experienced TT Games veterans who worked on the successful LEGO games, set out to bring to life the 1982 film, “The Thing,” in our upcoming action-adventure game Funko Fusion. With an eye for authenticity and a touch of irreverent humor, we seek to embody the original film’s thrills and chills while offering our own unique spin. Here’s how we made that happen in collaboration with Universal Products & Experiences.

First, we made a hand-crafted level inspired by “The Thing” — NBCUniversal supplied original set photography and layouts to us, informing our development to be as authentic as possible. This challenging process took six months, in which we faithfully designed the Antarctic research U.S. Outpost #31 and its surrounding areas, iconic characters like R.J. MacReady, Childs, and more, and the shape-shifting terror (in its many forms) so iconic to the film. Puzzles, mechanics, and weapons were all carefully built to represent what made “The Thing” so formidable over 40 years ago.

Speaking of characters, players can unlock the gruesome, infected Norwegian and battle other variants of the alien threat across its various grim stages. The Funko versions of these characters come with fun nods to the movie. As expected, R.J. MacReady wields a shotgun and a trusty fire ax; cook Nauls wields a frying pan and roller skates around the base; and M.T. Garry holds a six-round revolver and a dog sled as a shield.

Enemy design was particularly challenging to perfect. “The Thing” has withstood the test of time due to its impressive horror and special effects, despite the limited tech of the ‘80s. Our art team took extra care to closely re-imagine that horror through the Funko Pop! style. In boss fights with major enemies, foes turn into alien-like versions of themselves, with tendrils trailing from their mouths and bulging eyeballs popping out. One of the first enemies you encounter is The Kennel Thing: This whimpering dog turns into an otherworldly evil with hairy spider legs, spitting deadly acid at you.

Playable characters can be infected at any time, transforming their appearance into something outright terrifying, bringing a sense of unpredictability to the experience. In Funko Fusion, you can play as a range of characters from a variety of well-known franchises, and each can be transformed into The Thing — so watch out!

We crafted iconic scenes inspired by the movie that fans will recognize, and newcomers can witness with dread. Norris’ chest becomes a toothy trap for Copper’s arms; Childs uses a flamethrower to survive the deadly dogs; and, of course, Blair uses his computer to simulate the rate of human assimilation. Many of these scenes are as thematically gruesome as the original film, but in 10:10 Games fashion, we’ve sprinkled humor throughout to make for a tongue-in-cheek tone that brings a new sense of playfulness.

For gameplay, we carefully considered what would work best. Everything needed to thematically relate back to the movie, whether it was puzzles or combat. The film uses ice/fire and dark/light stylistically, and we aimed to accomplish the same in Funko Fusion. Everything within U.S. Outpost #31 is powered by gas generators, and players use gas canisters in clever ways to solve puzzles by powering lights or operating pipes – or even destroying enemies.

Many moments are built to create a sense of paranoia and fear, especially through atmosphere and music. We licensed the rights to the official score, and our sound designer Mario Goetzenberger used 40-year-old synthesizers like those from the original score, to re-record haunting tracks for memorable scenes in the game.

We’re lucky that Universal Products & Experiences collaborated with us to make a compelling recreation of a fan favorite as we always hoped, and every section is built with care.

We’re thrilled to invite the world to play our inventive take on not just “The Thing,” but the many other pop-culture universes we portray in Funko Fusion. Through our creative adaptations, we hope to unite new and established fans to celebrate what made these franchises so special in the first place.

Funko Fusion is available September 13, 2024, for Xbox Series X|S. Funko Pop! collectibles based on select in-game characters will be available for fans later this summer at Funko.com and select global retailers. For more information on Funko Fusion, please visit our official website or follow us on X, TikTok, Threads, Instagram, and Facebook.