Summary
Stephen King’sCarrieis a classichorrornovel that has been adapted multiple times. Now,The Haunting of Hill Houseshow creator Mike Flanagan is taking a crack at it with aCarrieTV series for Amazon.
Carriewas King’s debut novel, launching his career and reputation as a masterhorrorstoryteller. The book tells the story of the eponymous Carrie White, a young high school girl who discovers she has telekinetic powers. Suffering from abuse at home at the hands of a religious mother and at school from bullies, aprom prank at Carrie’s expense has terrifying consequenceswhen she unleashes her telekinetic powers on the town as an act of revenge.
Deadlinereported thatFlanagan and King are reteaming for an 8-episodeCarrieTV series, with Flanagan serving as writer and showrunner. In addition to these duties, Flanagan will executive produce theCarrieTV series alongside Intrepid Picture’s Trevor Macy, with Melinda Nishioka overseeing the project for the company. Flagan and Intrepid have overall deals at Amazon MGM Studios.The Hollywood Reporternotes that if theCarrieTV series moves forward, it will stream on Amazon’s Prime Video. The series logline reads:
[Carrie is an] old and timely reimagining of the story of misfit high-schooler Carrie White, who has spent her life in seclusion with her domineering mother. After her father’s sudden and untimely death, Carrie finds herself contending with the alien landscape of public High School, a bullying scandal that shatters her community, and the emergence of mysterious telekinetic powers.
King’sCarriehas been adapted for the screen three times. Perhaps the most notable adaptation is 1976’sCarriemovie by director Brian De Palma, which starred Sissy Spacek in the titular role. De Palma’s feature film adaptation was a box office hit and is still widely regarded as one of the best horror movies. A sequel titledThe Rage: Carrie 2was released over 20 years later, though it initially had no connection to De Palma’s film until it was rewritten as a direct follow-up to the 1976 classic. It was a box office bomb and received largely negative reviews. A 2002 television film adaptation was also critically panned, though it was a ratings success for NBC. Sony Pictures released a feature film remake in 2013 with Chloë Grace Moretz in the title role to mixed reviews and unremarkable box office revenue.
So, aside from De Palma’s film,Carrie’sadaptations have arguably failed to resonate with audiences. However, there’s reason to be optimistic about Flanagan’s interpretation of the story. Flanagan has earned a reputation as a great horror writer and director, withNetflix’sThe Haunting of Hill Houseregarded as the perfect show to watch for Halloween. He’s also adapted King’s stories before, with Netflix’sGerald’s Gameand Warner Bros.‘Doctor Sleep, a sequel toThe Shining. His most recent adaptation of King’s work isThe Life of Chuck, which premiered at 2024’s Toronto International Film Festival and is scheduled for a wide release in the summer of 2025.
King has famously hated many adaptations of his work, perhaps most famouslyStanley Kubrick’sThe Shining. So, his frequent collaborations with Flanagan are likely a sign that he has confidence in the filmmaker’s ability to faithfully adaptCarrie
Carrie
Cast
Based on Stephen King’s novel of the same name, Carrie follows young Carrie White (Chloë Grace Moretz), a teenager abused by her classmates and her deeply religious mother (Julianne Moore). After a particularly upsetting incident at school, Carrie learns that she has telekinetic powers, and when her bullies continue to torment her, she turns the tables on the entire town.
Still, De Palma’s movie set a high bar for Flanagan to clear, but he may be the right person to do so.
