Screenwriter Eric Heisserer recently gave an update on the upcoming prequel to John Carpenter's 1982 film "The Thing."

Heisserer, who penned the reboot of "Nightmare on Elm Street," is working on retooling a draft of the prequel by Ronald D. Moore of "Battlestar Galactica" fame.

Should the project remain on track, Heisserer says it could start production as early as January of 2010. Matthijs van Heijningen Jr. is attached to direct.

According to rumors, the film will focus on the brother of R.J. MacReady, who was played by Kurt Russell in the first film.

That was certainly a character in Ronald Moores draft, Heisserer said in an interview with Bloody-Disgusting. I cant comment on whether or not were going to keep that going forward.

What is known about the prequel is that it takes place from the Norwegian scientist's point of view. They were seen early in Carpenter's film during a desperate pursuit of the creature, which had taken the form of a dog.

Heisserer is enjoying the process of molding the foundations of the prequel based on dissections of Carpenter's film.

Its a really fascinating way to construct a story because we're doing it by autopsy," he said. "By examining very, very closely everything we know about the Norwegian camp and about the events that happened there from photos and video footage thats recovered from a visit to the base.

"The director, producer and I have gone through it countless times marking. You know, theres a fire axe in the door, we have to account for that ... we're having to reverse engineer it, so those details all matter to us cause it all has to make sense.

Were finding so much from Carpenters movie that you think youve seen, but in actuality it allows us to come up with certain twists on what we have that will allow people to be on the edge of their seat, and not know whos going to make it and whos not.

"The Thing" was based on John W. Campbell Jr.'s 1938 novella "Who Goes There?" published in "Astounding Stories." It inspired the 1951 film "The Thing from Another World."