Every Cancelled John Carpenter Film We NEVER Got To See

22. They Bite

After his feature-length debut, Dark Star, John Carpenter and Dan O'Bannon hoped to collaborate for another movie, They Bite (also known as Drone and Omnivore). The story centred around prehistoric insects that were unearthed in an archaeological dig. Rather than being run-of-the-mill monsters, these creepy-crawlies could mimic whatever they consumed, allowing them to blend in with humanity.

Though Carpenter and O'Bannon's previous collaboration, Dark Star, spoofed the sci-fi genre, They Bite took matters seriously, meshing creature feature conventions with body horror. 

Although O’Bannon completed the screenplay and Carpenter intended to direct, They Bite faltered in development. Studios were reluctant to finance the film, knowing the practical effects required could be challenging and expensive.

The fact They Bite didn't see the light of day was probably a blessing in disguise, though. If Carpenter had seen the project through, he may never have reinvented the slasher franchise with Halloween several years later.

On top of that, They Bite's cancellation inspired Dan O'Bannon to tweak it into Alien, ushering in a new era of sci-fi horror. Had They Bite gotten greenlit, many classic horror franchises may have never come to pass.