Prime Video will excitedly tell you Mike Flanagan‘s Carrie is the “first-ever series adaptation of Stephen King’s iconic debut novel,” which is technically true. But Carrie has been adapted multiple times before, including to indelible effect in Brian De Palma’s 1976 film starring Sissy Spacek. However, considering Flanagan’s status as pop culture’s most devoted King collaborator, it’s not surprising to hear his take on the bullied telekinetic teen with a very challenging home life will be quite different than what we’ve seen before.
None of Prime Video’s first-look images (including the ones Entertainment Weekly had the exclusive on; you can see the ones released to the general press below) show any of the story’s climactic gore. But Flanagan hinted at the horrors his series will contain, as well as his unique approach to the familiar material.
“For me, this was never going to be a straight adaptation,” he told EW. “The only way to approach it was to build something new out of the ingredients of Carrie. Otherwise, there’s really no purpose in trying to retread ground that’s been so beautifully walked before.”
Across eight episodes, the show will explore themes from King’s 1974 novel that are still timely today, with an added 21st-century twist, Flanagan explained. “Kindness versus cruelty, of empathy and bullying, and violence at school have become even more relevant today than he could have contemplated because of our relationship to technology and the degree to which violence encroaches on our high schoolers, especially in the United States.”
And yes, the infamous prom scene will of course be a part of that, though the showrunner teases, “We’re getting there a completely different way and the events of that prom are going to be completely different.”
He also hinted that Carrie, played by Summer H. Howell, won’t be an island when it comes to her psychic powers. It’s something King brought up in his novel that other adaptations haven’t really explored, but Flanagan’s series will introduce some of those other similarly gifted women at different points in time and geographical locations. “Carrie’s specific place among that group of women is part of the real joy that we get to discover over the course of the season,” he said.
There’s no Prime Video premiere date yet (just “this fall”). The rest of the cast includes Samantha Sloyan as Margaret White; Siena Agudong as Sue Snell; Alison Thornton as Chris Hargensen; Joel Oulette as Tommy Ross; Josie Totah as Tina; Arthur Conti as Billy; Thalia Dudek as Emaline; Amber Midthunder as Miss Desjardin; and Matthew Lillard as Principal Grayle.
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