Summary
Stephen King’sCarrieis one of the darkest and most memorable classic horror movies, and fans have been curious aboutMike Flanagan’s take on the eerie tale. Now the filmmaker and TV showrunner is sharing what he thought when he was given the opportunity to make aCarrieTV show, along with some details on what the story will be like.
Whilethe 1976 original directed by Brian De Palmais the most famous one,Carriehas three movie adaptations. Several years after audiences were stunned bythe grim story of teenage Carrie White (Sissy Spacek), her telekenetic powers, and her evil mother Margaret (Piper Laurie), NBC released a TV film starring Angela Bettis in the title role. Then,in 2013, the disappointingCarrieremake was released, with Chloë Grace Moretz and Julianne Moore playing the mother and daughter. Now Flanagan is bringing the horror classic to the small screen.
Mike Flanagan Explains Why He Almost Turned Down Amazon Prime Video’s Carrie And Shares More Details
In an interview withVariety,Mike Flanagan explained his first response when Amazon asked him to make aCarrieTV series. He said:
“we’re doing theCarrieseries right now, and that was one where the conversation started when Amazon proposed the show. I initially thought, ‘Why? it’s been done.’ And then I found an answer to that question, and it made me very excited.”
Flanagan continued that when he sent the plan and show bible to Stephen King, the beloved author agreed that it was a brand new way to approach the story. King said,“I’m excited to see where this goes.”
Flanagan also explained thatthe themes of the originalCarriemovie and his TV series are the same: young adulthood and bullying. However, he didn’t want to make the same film, and he wanted to ensure that the main character’s journey makes sense in the current world. That meant including the impact that technology has had on society in the series. Flanagan mentioned the famous, terrifying, and haunting scene at the beginning of the originalCarriewhere Carrie’s classmates make fun of her in the high school locker room. It’s hard to think ofthe 1976 horror filmwithout picturing that upsetting moment. While Flanagan didn’t give away any plot details, he did say:
“it’s about much more than Carrie White. I can’t really talk about what we’re doing, I can only really talk about what we’renotdoing. We’re not retelling the story as it’s been told, and we’re not making a show about telekinesis.”
In another interview, the filmmaker also explainedthe tough nature of casting the lead, and while there wasa report that Milly Shapiro would playthe powerful and lonely high schooler,Summer H. Howell was cast in the main role.
Flanagan’s scary, emotional, and creative horror storiesmake himthe right person to make aCarrieTV show, and as a bonus, he’s also familiar with King’s work. Besides being a big fan himself, hewrote and directed the movie adaptation of King’s vulnerable and haunting short storyThe Life of Chuck, which hasa release date of June 6th, 2025. Flanagan also wrote and directedDoctor Sleep, the 2019 sequel toThe Shining. His talent coupled with his understanding of King’s material will no doubt makeCarriea success.
After the 2013Carrieremake, which didn’t add much to the story,fans will be relieved to hear that Flanagan’s series will offer up something new. While there is no release date at this time, it sounds like this unique take on the eerie classicwill be worth the wait.
