They Live (They live), John Carpenter's 1988 sci-fi horror cult classic, will make its first-ever appearance in Italian theaters on October 12, 13 and 14, 2026. The film will be presented in a restored 4K version distributed by Filmclub Distribuzione in collaboration with Minerva Pictures and Rarovideo Channel.
Based on Ray Nelson's 1963 short story Eight O'Clock in the Morning (Alle otto del mattino), They Live stars Canadian wrestler and actor "Rowdy" Roddy Piper alongside Keith David and Meg Foster.
Piper plays John Nada, an unemployed worker who comes across a pair of sunglasses that reveal the hidden reality behind the world around him. Through the lenses, he discovers that power is controlled by alien beings and that concealed messages embedded in advertising and the media are being used to manipulate the population.
One of the most recognizable titles in Carpenter's filmography, They Live also bears the director's mark as a screenwriter. The screenplay is credited to Frank Armitage, a pseudonym used by Carpenter, who also composed the score with his longtime collaborator Alan Howarth. Cinematography is by Gary B. Kibbe.
With They Live, Carpenter combines science fiction, horror and action with social satire centered on consumerism, mass communication and social control. Central to the film is the contrast between everyday reality and the world revealed through Nada's sunglasses, where commanding messages are hidden behind advertisements, newspapers and billboards.
Watch the new trailer below:
