Upcoming TV Series Adaptation of a Classic Stephen King Film

Major Highlights

Mike Flanagan, known for creating The Haunting of Hill House, is working on a new Carrie series for Amazon.
Flanagan is set to write, showrun, and serve as executive producer for the 8-episode series to be featured on Amazon Prime Video.
Flanagan’s established expertise in horror offers promising potential for this adaptation.

Stephen King’s Carrie is a renowned horror tale that has seen several adaptations over the years. Now, Mike Flanagan, the creative mind behind The Haunting of Hill House, is venturing into the world of Carrie with a new series for Amazon.

This iconic work was King’s first novel, marking the beginning of his journey as a legendary horror writer. The narrative revolves around Carrie White, a socially isolated high school girl who uncovers her telekinetic abilities.

According to a report from Deadline, Flanagan and King are collaborating once again for a 8-episode adaptation of Carrie. Flanagan will take on the roles of writer and showrunner, in addition to executive producing the series alongside Trevor Macy from Intrepid Pictures, while Melinda Nishioka will manage the project for the company. Both Flanagan and Intrepid have overarching deals with Amazon MGM Studios. As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, should the Carrie series be produced, it will be available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video. The series will reimagine the premise as follows:

“An old and timely take on the narrative of Carrie White, a misfit high school student who has lived a secluded life under the watchful eye of her overbearing mother. Following her father’s unexpected death, Carrie faces the ruthless environment of high school, a bullying scandal that impacts her community, and the awakening of her mysterious telekinetic powers.”

Carrie has seen three film adaptations. The most notable remains the 1976 film directed by Brian De Palma, featuring Sissy Spacek as the lead character. This adaptation achieved commercial success and is still heralded as a horror masterpiece. Subsequently, over two decades later, a sequel titled The Rage: Carrie 2 was released, but its initial lack of connection to the original film was later revised to establish it as a direct continuation. Unfortunately, it failed at the box office and garnered mostly negative responses. A 2002 TV movie adaptation was released too, receiving poor reviews yet achieving high ratings on NBC. A remake featuring Chloë Grace Moretz hit theaters in 2013, which garnered mixed critiques and did not perform well financially.

With the exception of De Palma’s version, the other adaptations of Carrie have generally fallen short of audience connection. Nevertheless, there is reason for optimism about Flanagan’s rendition of the story. He is known for his exceptional talent in horror storytelling, with Netflix’s The Haunting of Hill House typically suggested as a must-watch during Halloween. Flanagan has previously tackled King’s narratives through adaptations like Gerald’s Game for Netflix, and Doctor Sleep, which serves as a sequel to The Shining. His latest King adaptation, The Life of Chuck, debuted at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival and is set for a wider release in the summer of 2025.

Stephen King has famously expressed dissatisfaction with many adaptations of his works, notably Stanley Kubrick’s interpretation of The Shining. Thus, his ongoing collaborations with Flanagan indicate a level of trust in the filmmaker’s capability to portray Carrie accurately.

While De Palma’s film set a high standard for Flanagan to meet, he may very well be the right candidate to rise to the challenge.

The Carrie series is currently in development at Amazon MGM Studios.

Source: Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter

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