Carriestar Matthew Lillard details why Mike Flanagan is remaking the Stephen King story.Carriewas King’s first published novel in 1974, and Brian De Palma directed an adaptation in 1976. The popularity of the movie helped boost King’s profile and played a role in having him become a household name.Carriefollows the story of a telekinetic teenage girl who is bullied by her peers and abused by her hyper-religious mother. Her story ends in tragedy after she lashes out after a disastrous prom. TheupcomingCarrieserieson Prime Video will update the story to reflect modern times.
In an interview withThe Kingcast, Lillard, who plays Principal Grayle, explains why Flanagan is remakingCarrie. After reading all of the scripts, Lillard believes thatFlanagan has taken the core of King’s story and updated it for a modern audienceto keep its themes relevant. He acknowledges that the story has been done well before, andthere would be no point in simply retelling the same story. Check out the full statement from Lillard below:
I read all eight episodes, which never happened. You never get to read everything upfront, but it’s all written. And I think that what Mike’s done again is taken the core of what Steve has written when he wrote Carrie, and adapted it in a way that honors what Stephen was going for early, and now he’s making it relevant for kids today.
I don’t that he would have done it if Mike didn’t have a really clear, concise, direct refocus of what Carrie is. And nobody needs to see Carrie again. Mike sort of cracked the code, how its relevant now. The shot for shot Psycho [remake]…why would you do that? Just watch the original.
What This Means For Carrie
There are currently three different versions ofCarrie, the 1976 movie, a 2002 TV movie, and a 2013 remake starring Chloë Grace Moretz. There is also a generally forgotten 1999 sequel,The Rage: Carrie 2.With so many versions already in existence,Lillard is right to point out that nobody needs to see an adaptation that remakes the same story. While the De Palma version didn’t fit in every scene from the fairly short novel, it is a faithful retelling and still stands out as a horror classic.
The story of a bullied teenager is an evergreen theme, and the iconic horror tale has not lost any of its potential to be told, even over 50 years later.
Taking a new approach toCarrieis the only reason to adapt the novel again. The story of a bullied teenager is an evergreen theme, and the iconic horror tale has not lost any of its potential to be told, even over 50 years later. While Flanagan or any of theCarriecasthave not stated what the modern updates will look like,it can be assumed that technology will play a role in the show. The mob mentality behind Carrie being bullied by her peers could only be amplified with the differences in technology from 1974 to today.
Our Take On Carrie Changing The Source Material
The Novel & 1976 Movie Still Exist
Flanagan is no stranger to adapting King’s work, having directedGerald’s Game,Doctor Sleep, and theupcomingLife of Chuck. Doctor Sleepespecially made changes to the source material, with nearly the entire third act of the story being rewritten by Flanagan.Carriehas timeless themes within it, and an update to the story makes sense.
Given that the book has been adapted multiple times, people always have the option of revisiting the novel, the 1976 movie, or any other version. There will be a wait for the series, as production will begin this summer, and a release date has not been announced. With Flanagan’s past success adapting King, I believe his version ofCarriewill be a hit.
Carrie
Cast
Carrie is an adaptation of Stephen King’s iconic novel of the same name, which tells the story of a bullied youth who develops supernatural abilities. Unlike previous adaptations of the work, this version—helmed by Mike Flanagan—will be a series instead of a feature film.
