Stephen King’s horror classic novel Carrie has inspired three adaptations and a sequel already, with another brand new adaptation on the way from Prime Video and Mike Flanagan. The filmmaker recently teased his vision for the series and what sets it apart.
Mike Flanagan serves as writer and showrunner for the eight-episode series in addition to directing select episodes.
The filmmaker behind Stephen King adaptations Gerald’s Game, Doctor Sleep, and The Life of Chuck revealed to Variety that the prolific horror author initially balked at the idea of another adaptation.
“His first response was, ‘Leave her alone. She’s been through enough,’” Flanagan stated.
“But it’s that thing where the more information I could share, and sending him the bible and the plan for the show, he could see the thing we were trying to do that was new. Then he said, ‘Ohh, now I’m interested, just as a fan. I’m excited to see where this goes.’ Once he said yes, then we were off, because if Steve had said no, I wouldn’t do it.”
The new series, Flanagan reveals, will approach the story with a modern lens.
“So we’re focused way more on the destruction of a community through these very modern tools. What happens in a world where the internet has created an environment of perceived anonymity? Carrie White in the locker room in every iteration is a horrifying scene. Carrie White in the locker room when people have phones in their hands is a whole different thing,” Flanagan said.
That won’t just be a modern refresh on a familiar story, though; the series will frame the story beyond its telekinetic teen. “The central tenets are still the same, but 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’re not doing. We’re not retelling the story as it’s been told, and we’re not making a show about telekinesis. It’s in there, but that’s not what it’s about.“
In Stephen King’s Carrie, “Misfit high schooler Carrie White 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.”
Carrie was previously adapted by Brian De Palma in 1976, David Carson in 2002, and Kimberly Peirce in 2013. Katt Shea also directed a Carrie sequel movie back in 1999.