Stephen King novel Carrie has been made for cinema and TV several times in the past four decades, which means Mike Flanagan’s new take on the author’s debut novel seems like just another unnecessary remake. But then, it is Mike Flanagan, someone who seems to get Stephen King’s stories better than anyone since Mick Garris, who was responsible for the original miniseries of The Stand, Desperation, Bag of Bones, and several other King adaptations. Now, the new take on the story has wrapped filming, and Flanagan celebrated on his Instagram account.
“Our last day of filming on CARRIE. This has been one of the best experiences of my career, one of the very best ensembles I’ve ever worked with, and already one of my favorite projects ever. Cannot wait for you guys to see what we made.”
It is yet to be seen if Flanagan can manage to deliver something different, as despite two movies, a TV series, and even a musical, the filmmaker – who is also behind Gerald’s Game, Doctor Sleep, The Life of Chuck, and is working on bringing The Dark Tower to screens – has promised that his eight-part TV show will be worth it for fans.
In a previous interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Flanagan explained why fans should be excited about the new show, even if they feel like it is a case of been there, done that. He said:
“I think we looked at 1,800 different candidates for [the] role of [Carrie]. It was an exhaustive process. Ultimately, I think we ended up with the right actor for the part. It took a long time to find her, and I can’t wait for people to see what she’s doing, because it’s unlike anything that anyone’s ever done with the part before.”
The actress in question is Summer Howell, best known for her roles in TV series Channel Zero and the Child’s Play sequel, Cult of Chucky. Whether she can indeed bring something different to the part, which has previously been portrayed on screen by Sissy Spacek – who remains the ultimate Carrie White at this moment in time – Chloe Grace Moretz, and Angela Bettis, is something that we can only wait to find out.
Mike Flanagan’s ‘Carrie’ Reboot Is Coming to Prime Video
Mike Flanagan’s films and TV shows have always brought with them some strong ensemble casts. The main cast of Carrie was recently announced, with Howell being joined by Matthew Lillard, Amber Midthunder, Alison Thornton and Arthur Conti. Samantha Sloyan is an ideal fit, as the actor who played Bev Keane in Flanagan’s Midnight Mass, is set to play Carrie’s extremely religious mother, Margaret White.
Matthew Lillard recently promised fans of Stephen King’s classic novel that they don’t need to worry about the new TV series making the mistake of several other remakes that bring nothing new to the table. He said:
“I read all eight episodes, which never happened. You never get to read everything upfront, but it’s all written. And I think that what Mike’s done again is taken the core of what Steve has written when he wrote Carrie, and adapted it in a way that honors what Stephen was going for early, and now he’s making it relevant for kids today.
I don’t think that he would have done it if Mike didn’t have a really clear, concise, direct refocus of what Carrie is. And nobody needs to see Carrie again. Mike sort of cracked the code, how its relevant now. The shot for shot Psycho [remake]…why would you do that? Just watch the original.”
Carrie is expected to debut on Prime Video sometime in 2026.