Mike Flanagan Hints At Crucial Change To Carrie’s Story That Updates His Stephen King Show For 2025
Mike Flanagan has revealed the major changes that he is going to make to his Carrie TV show adaptation that will seek to update the story. The original 1976 version is considered a horror classic and was the first of many Stephen King adaptations. The movie follows the eccentric titular character, a high school girl who is mocked and bullied before developing powers of telekinesis, which she uses to wreak havoc on her tormentors. After two previous movie iterations, Flanagan's show will be the first Carrie TV series adaptation.
On Bluesky, Flanagan replied to a post from Half Price Horror, responding to his own post about Variety's confirmation of his Carrie series. The account made a post stating faith in Flanagan, but calling the adaptation a tough sell, before noting that they didn't think the concept of "'high school student retaliates for humiliation with a murder spree' hits the same way it did in 1976." Flanagan agreed, teasing a "bold new direction," stating that he hoped people would love it. Check out the image below:
What This Means For The Carrie TV Adaptation
Carrie Will Likely Have Different Motivations For Her Murder Spree
Flanagan's comments show that he and the creative team are keenly aware of the connotations that come with the original plot of Carrie, and how the different cultural climate in 2025 means audiences would be less receptive to a movie featuring a killing spree by a bullied high school kid. It is unclear what new motivations Carrie will have for carrying out her murderous rampage, but a wealth of ideas could be used, particularly as the show will deviate from that aspect of the book.
Flanagan is also working on another Stephen King TV adaptation, The Dark Tower.
While straying from the source material as iconic as Carrie is a risk, the show is in safe hands with Flanagan thanks to his track record in horror. Flanagan's best movies and TV shows include seminal horrors The Haunting of Hill House and Midnight Mass, as well as another King adaptation (and The Shining sequel), Doctor Sleep. He will no doubt have a plan in place for the direction he wants to take Carrie, and it will be interesting to see the motivations he gives the titular character this time around.
Our Take On Flanagan's Carrie TV Show
This Will Be An Adaptation For The Modern Age
As well as focusing on the issue of bullying, Carrie is also a story about a daughter at odds with her overbearing and protective mother, and this could well be the direction Flanagan chooses to focus on in his King adaptation. Years of suffocation from her mother could lead Carrie to manifest her powers and go on a dark and downward spiral, harming anyone who gets in her way. Whatever the choice, there is a good bet that Flanagan's seven-year stint at Netflix will help him to craft the right show, and flex his horror muscles again.
Source: Bluesky
