You don’t need telekinesis to read Hollywood’s mind. It’s obvious the industry just can’t quit Carrie White. Horror master Mike Flanagan will be the next director to bring Stephen King’s iconic story to the screen. Only he’ll do it in a very different way than all the previous attempts. Flanagan will lead an eight-episode television series adaptation of the author’s seminal 1974 novel Carrie at Prime Video.
Mike Flanagan’s Carrie Cast
We officially have casting news for the new Carrie series. Summer H. Howell (Chucky TV series) will portray Carrie in Flanagan’s series. In our opinion, she certainly looks the part. Additionally, Siena Agudong has joined the cast as Sue Snell, a popular girl who bullies Carrie but also has a heart.
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Flanagan said Howell was the perfect choice as the titular character Carrie after seeing nearly 1,800 candidates. “I think we ended up with the right actor for the part,” Flanagan said. “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.”
He also confirmed that the Carrie series will start filming in mid-June and that there are even more cast announcements on the way.
For now, here’s the Carrie cast members whom we know about:
- Matthew Lillard as Principle Grayle
- Samantha Sloyan as Margaret White
- Alison Thornton as Chris Hargensen
- Thalia Dudek as Emaline
- Amber Midthunder as Miss Desjardin
- Josie Totah as Tina
- Arthur Conti as Billy
- Joel Oulette as Tommy
Flanagan is ready to work in Stephen King’s dark universe yet again. He is following up his recent adaptation of King’s 2020 novella The Life of Chuck with an adaptation of the book that kicked off King’s career. Flanagan will turn the story of a bullied, powerful young girl into a limited series.
This is just the latest live-action take on King’s book, but it will easily be the longest. Brian de Palma first brought Carrie to the screen in his classic 1976 film starring Sissy Spacek. A sequel titled The Rage: Carrie 2 followed in 1999. Adaptations of the novel then arrived in 2002 and 2013. There was even a failed stage musical in 1988 that was briefly revived in 2012. (It inspired Riverdale‘s Carrie episode!) Prime Video’s series will mark the first time anyone has adapted Carrie into a long-form series.
Carrie seems like an unlikely King novel to get an eight-episode take, but we’re confident Flanagan’s plans for it will prove why it was. He’s more than proven he can excel with long-form horror television. He’s also more than proven that he knows how to bring Stephen King stories to the screen, even if this will be his first attempt at a King TV show. Flanagan’s other King adaptations include feature film versions of Gerald’s Game and Doctor Sleep.
While we can’t wait to see what it’s like to spend even more time with Carrie White, we’re also excited about what the existence of this series could mean for another project. This show could also help Flanagan deliver on his long-teased The Dark Tower series. You don’t need telekinesis to know why anyone would want prom night to lead to that.
Originally published October 21, 2024.