LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Iconic filmmaker John Carpenter made a rare appearance as a guest on 'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert', marking his first return to the late-night talk show circuit in decades.

Best known for his legendary contributions to the horror genre with films like 'The Thing' and 'Halloween', Carpenter has been relatively elusive in the late-night show realm, with his last talk show appearance being on 'The Daily Show' back in 2001.

No wonder his appearance on 'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert' was much-anticipated and the episode made the fans crack up when John Carpenter gave out some humorous answers, especially when it came to his movie, 'The Thing'.

John Carpenter's talk show history and 'Suburban Screams' success

John Carpenter's history with late-night shows includes a memorable discussion about 'Halloween' with David Letterman in 1982, as well as a later appearance on Letterman's 'Late Show' in 1999. These rare encounters have left fans eager to hear from the brilliant writer, director, producer, and composer once again.

Lately, Carpenter has been actively making headlines due to the release of his series, 'John Carpenter's Suburban Screams', which debuted on Peacock earlier this month.

The series offers a unique blend of documentary-style interviews and thrilling reenactment scenes, all centered around tales of terror, particularly focusing on the theme of danger in suburbia—a topic Carpenter notably explored in his 1978 classic 'Halloween'.

Although not universally praised by critics, the series has provided Carpenter with an opportunity to share his thoughts and engage in interviews, often reflecting his distinctive personality.

In a recent interview with Insider, he demonstrated his trademark candidness by casually enjoying a Popsicle while bluntly dismissing critics of his "little series," and added, "I'm not a master of anything. I just want to play video games and watch basketball."

While Carpenter hasn't directed a film since 2010's 'The Ward', he has continued to excel in his role as a composer, contributing to the scores of the new 'Halloween' trilogy, as well as films like 'Studio 666' and last year's 'Firestarter' remake.

As for what lies ahead for the multifaceted artist, rumors suggest the possibility of a sequel to 'The Thing' being in the works, leaving fans and enthusiasts curious and excited.

John Carpenter asks Stephen Colbert to send him a 'check in the mail' to get clarifications regarding the ending of 'The Thing'

In a clip shared by 'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert', the host was heard asking John Carpenter several questions about his film 'The Thing', especially about its ambiguous ending which has led to the birth of several theories.

Sometime later, Colbert inquired, "Can I figure out that answer merely by watching the film?"

Carpenter, with his characteristic humor, responded, "If you watch really carefully and send me a check in the mail, I will tell you."

Internet in splits as John Carpenter asks Stephen Colbert to send him a 'check'

Soon after the clip of John Carpenter's conversation with Stephen Colbert was posted on the X (formerly Twitter) account of 'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert', viewers started to react to the post with their hilarious views.

One wrote, "I'll send John some valuable crypto. He already has it. Now tell me," as another said, "Respect, John has unabashedly, unreservedly always been about that bag. He's never hidden it."

"A check in the mail? It has been a question that's been bugging me. Can we do a GoFundMe?" quipped a person.

A fan wrote, "The most John Carpenter answer to this question that could possibly exist <3," while someone else joked, "I love how much this man loves money."

"Credit to Colbert for asking the right question, Carpenter will always give the right answer," remarked one.