Who better to bring a Stephen King novel to life than one of the leading figures in modern horror?
According to Deadline, Mike Flanagan is set to create a television series based on King’s classic 1974 novel Carrie. This adaptation will consist of eight episodes and will be available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video. Flanagan will work alongside Trevor Macy as executive producers through Intrepid Pictures.
Originally released in 1974, Carrie tells the story of a young girl named Carrie who is navigating life as a high school student under the oppressive watch of her mother. Isolated and bullied, Carrie eventually uncovers her telekinetic abilities and decides to take a stand against her tormentors following a disastrous prank.
Carrie was famously transformed into a film by director Brian De Palma in 1976, featuring Sissy Spacek in the title role. The movie also starred John Travolta, Piper Laurie, Amy Irving, William Katt, Nancy Allen, and Betty Buckley. It achieved significant commercial success and received critical acclaim, leading to Oscar nominations for both Spacek and Laurie in the categories of Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress, respectively. De Palma’s adaptation is often hailed as one of the most seminal horror films in cinematic history.
The success of Carrie gave rise to various sequels and adaptations, including 1999’s The Rage: Carrie 2, a reimagining in 2013 featuring Chloë Grace Moretz, and a television movie in 2002.
This new project marks another entry in Flanagan’s expanding roster of adaptations of King’s works. He previously wrote and directed Doctor Sleep in 2019—King’s sequel to The Shining—and Gerald’s Game in 2017, a psychological horror film starring Carla Gugino and Bruce Greenwood.
Most recently, Flanagan penned and directed The Life of Chuck, an adaptation of King’s novella featuring Tom Hiddleston in the lead role. This sci-fi drama received the Audience Award at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, with Neon acquiring the film and planning a theatrical release in the summer of 2025.
