Horror maven Mike Flanagan is tackling yet another Stephen King classic with a forthcoming TV adaptation of King's first novel, Carrie. Originally published in 1974, the book is not only significant because it was the King of Horror's debut novel, but it also had the distinction of being the very first of his works to be adapted as well. The partially epistolary novel concerns a bullied 16-year-old who begins to develop telekinetic powers and eventually uses them to exact revenge at prom. Though the book was a smash-hit, it was the 1976 film that made King a household name.

Though many of Stephen King's works have been adapted, Carrie is perhaps the author's most consistently remade novel. Not only did the Brian De Palma film adapt the story in 1976, but a sequel followed in 1999, as well as two remakes in 2002 and 2013. Though the original movie will always have a place in popular culture, Mike Flanagan's TV series can finally do the book justice by incorporating the elements that are often cut. Carrie's ending implies there is a world worth exploring beyond the title character, and Flanagan is the perfect choice to lead the project.

Mike Flanagan's Carrie Latest News

Another Major Role Has Been Cast

Around the same time that the Amazon project was given a green light yet, the latest news confirms that a major role has been cast in the Carrie TV series. Just days after it was revealed that Summer H. Howell was being circled to play the titular character, Siena Agudong (Resident Evil) was tapped to play Sue Snell. Perhaps the most important part in the film besides Carrie herself, Snell is one of Carrie's classmates who is initially a bully but learns the error of her ways. Depending on how the book is adapted, Snell will probably be one of the main characters in the series.

Mike Flanagan's Carrie Is Confirmed

The Adaptation Was Announced In Late 2024

Mike Flanagan has positioned himself as the modern master of Stephen King's works, and he has already found great success with Doctor Sleep and The Life of Chuck. Flanagan's take on Carrie was announced in October 2024, and finally given the official order from Amazon in April 2025. The series will be a Prime Video exclusive, though few other details are known at this time. In November 2024, Flanagan announced that Carrie was his current project and that work was actively progressing.

Flanagan is also attached to an adaptation of Stephen King's The Dark Tower series.

Along with that news, Flanagan also let slip that Carrie was already six weeks into the writer's room by that point, meaning work had been progressing at an impressive speed. Now, it has been confirmed that Flanagan will pull triple duty as producer, writer, and he will direct some of the episodes. The series will consist of eight total episodes, and will begin shooting in summer 2025. It's unclear when Prime Video hopes to deliver the remake, though 2026 is the earliest that Carrie could arrive.

Every Carrie adaptation is listed in the chart below:

Mike Flanagan's Carrie Cast Details

Several Roles Have Already Been Cast

being a somewhat unknown star is an advantage for Howell, and she can take on the role without any preconceived expectations.

The role of Carrie has been played by some recognizable names since the first adaptation in 1976, and the part is still sought-after for its complexity. Though she hasn't officially signed on to lead the show yet, Summer H. Howell (Cult of Chucky) is being eyed for the titular part. The actor has extensive experience in the horror genre, and has big shoes to fill after actors like Sissy Spacek and Chloë Grace Moretz left their mark on the role. However, being a somewhat unknown star is an advantage for Howell, and she can take on the role without any preconceived expectations.

Elsewhere, the role of bully-turned-friend Sue Snell has gone to Siena Agudong (Resident Evil) who has considerably less experience with horror than her potential co-star. Nevertheless, the part is crucial to an expanded version of the Carrie story, as Snell is one of the more fleshed-out figures in the title character's life, and is certainly more than a one-dimensional bully like so many of Stephen King's more forgettable characters.

Mike Flanagan's Carrie Story Details

What Will Be Different In This Version?

Adapting Carrie has clearly been a popular enterprise since the novel's debut over 50 years ago, and Hollywood has come back to the well on numerous occasions. The synopsis for Mike Flanagan's take on the book doesn't sound any different from previous incarnations, and it's currently unclear exactly how the series will add something new to the well-told tale. The original ending of the book includes a sinister tease that there are more people in the world with telekinetic powers like Carrie, but none of the adaptations have bothered to expand on that idea.

The logline currently reads:

A bold and timely reimagining of the story of misfit high-schooler Carrie White, who has spent her life in seclusion with her domineering mother. After her father’s sudden and untimely death, Carrie finds herself contending with the alien landscape of public High School, a bullying scandal that shatters her community, and the emergence of mysterious telekinetic powers.

2002's TV movie remake drew upon the epistolary elements of the book by being told in flashback, but the twist ending that Carrie survives and goes on the run with Sue Snell was an odd choice. Instead, Flanagan's version will likely use its longer running time to expand the relationships between the characters, and give the crucial moments more time to breathe. Even a 2-hour movie is required to make cuts to King's relatively short book, but the show can include every detail and even expand upon smaller ideas that are only teased in the novel.