The first details for Mike Flanagan’s new ‘Carrie‘ series are finally out, and it sounds like he is taking the story in a completely different direction. The show is set to hit Prime Video this Fall.
According to the latest reports, this will not be a simple remake of the Stephen King novel. Flanagan has said he is building “something new out of the ingredients of Carrie.” He feels that Brian De Palma’s 1976 movie is already a masterpiece. So to make a new version, especially an eight-episode series, he has to make some major changes. Even with all the overhauls, he still wants to honor the main themes of the book.
Modern Setting and Social Media Bullying in the New ‘Carrie’
The story will take place in the modern day. It will explore the “relentless pressure and casual cruelty of the social-media age.” Flanagan thought it was important to update the story because bullying looks so different now. He pointed out that the basic ideas of the story are the same, but the tools kids use today are a whole different ballgame.
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Flanagan explained that “Carrie White in the locker room when people have phones in their hands is a whole different thing.” So it sounds like viral humiliation will be a big part of the show.
Expanded Mythology and Telekinetic Powers Beyond Carrie White
One of the most surprising things learned is that the show will expand the mythology from King’s book. Carrie White will not be the only person with telekinetic powers. Flanagan is looking at the hints in the novel about a “TK gene” and a world of women who have these gifts.
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Starting with the second episode, each one will open with a cold sequence featuring “a different, unique story of a different woman, somewhere else in the world and in time, coming to terms with their own abilities.” This really opens up the story beyond the small town of Chamberlain, Maine.
Major Book Changes Including the Prom Scene and Margaret White
Flanagan is also making big changes to some of the book’s most famous moments, especially the prom scene. He said that “the events of that prom are going to be completely different,” but the end result will still be one terrible night.
Other characters are getting a new look too, like Carrie’s mother, Margaret White. Instead of just being a mean and punishing figure, this version of Margaret is a fiercely protective mother who creates a “private utopia” for Carrie to keep her safe from the outside world. Flanagan called this a “completely different” take on the character. Also, Carrie’s father will die in a way that forces her to go to public high school, which is different from the novel, where he dies before she is born.
Summer Howell will play the title character, and she landed the role after a long search that looked at over 1,000 actors. The rest of the cast includes Samantha Sloyan, Matthew Lillard, and Amber Midthunder. Flanagan is the showrunner, writer, and executive producer, and he will direct four of the eight episodes. Stephen King himself is also an executive producer on the project. ‘Carrie‘ will premiere exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide this Fall.
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