Eight episodes: Flanagan reimagines Carrie for the smartphone era

Mike Flanagan is developing an eight-episode adaptation of Stephen King’s Carrie for Prime Video. The series stars Summer H. Howell as the titular character and Samantha Sloyan as her mother, Margaret. The project marks another entry in a long lineage of adaptations for a story first published in 1974.

The original novel introduced the world to Carrie White’s traumatic high school experience. Brian De Palma’s 1976 film cemented the image of the blood-soaked prom queen in American pop culture. Flanagan acknowledges the weight of that history. He noted that the character has been terrifying audiences for half a century, making any new version a difficult sell.

Flanagan said he shared the common skepticism about remaking a beloved classic. He described his internal debate as a process of convincing himself that a new approach was necessary. He stated that he often asks why a project should be made if he cannot answer the question with a compelling reason. King, who is also a skeptic, asks the same question during the development process.

The driving force behind this specific adaptation is the modern teenage experience. Flanagan said the series explores how bullying has changed in the age of smartphones. He noted that humiliation is no longer confined to physical hallways but is broadcast to an audience that fits in a pocket. The technology makes the methods of torment more efficient and the emotional toll more immediate.

To capture these details accurately, the production team invited teenagers into the writers' room. They asked the students to discuss their daily lives and what they wanted to see on screen. Flanagan said the sessions gave him new insight into his own son, who was entering high school during the development phase. He expressed respect for the fortitude required of students today, calling the process an education for him.

Flanagan also saw a creative link between Carrie and his earlier work, The Midnight Club. Both projects focus on storytelling from a teenage perspective. He admitted that he had not previously drawn that connection but recognized the shared creative DNA. The opportunity to understand young people rather than just writing about them became central to the development of the new series.

The filmmaker believes the fundamental emotions of teenage life remain constant even as the setting changes. He said the world has changed significantly since the 1970s, but the underlying dynamics of kindness, cruelty, and violence persist. He argues that these elements feel more dire today than in previous decades. The series aims to reflect that amplified sense of urgency.

The upcoming adaptation will explore these themes through an eight-episode format. Flanagan said the goal was not to replace De Palma’s film or improve upon King’s book. Instead, the team sought to find something new and different that felt timely. The series offers a modern look at a story that has remained relevant for fifty years.