By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
Published: | Updated:
Horror maestro Mike Flanagan is behind this smart reimagining of Stephen King’s novel
Year: 2026
Carrie was Stephen King’s debut novel, and the tragedy of his telekinetic schoolgirl was brought indelibly to the screen in a movie starring Sissy Spacek in 1976. And then again, to less success, in 2002 and 2013. So why make an eight-part TV series out of it in 2026?
Mike Flanagan (The Haunting Of Hill House) asked himself the same question before he sat down to write it but, luckily, he came up with a good answer. His Carrie is the story of a homeschooled girl who starts high school after the death of her dad; she’s an innocent, and shocked by the casual cruelty of school life, from bullying through to the horror (and there is no other word for it) of active shooter drills.
Flanagan’s son was starting high school at the time he wrote this, and it all feels very personal and real. Every character has a strong point of view, from Carrie’s overprotective mum to the girl who relentlessly teases her – they all think they’re right, and the collisions between them are naturally compelling because that’s just like real life.
Throw in a ‘mysterious institute’-style sub plot, some really good acting and a framing device that sees the characters looking back on all the bloody events through interviews, and you’ve got a reimagining that should draw in a fresh generation. Flanagan’s idea interested King enough to sign on as executive producer, and the execution feels worthy of that honour. (Eight episodes)
