“Carrie” may not be the most popular girl in high school, but she’s a hit on Prime Video. The streamer renewed the supernatural horror series from Mike Flanagan on Thursday morning.
Flanagan will return to showrun the critically acclaimed series. He also executive produces alongside Stephen King, the horror legend and author of the original novel of the same name.
Right after its debut on Oct. 7, “Carrie” was the No. 1 most-watched title on Prime Video in over 105 countries worldwide.
The Prime Video adaptation modernizes King’s iconic story, bringing Carrie White to the 2020s. Homeschooled her entire life, the series starts with Carrie’s (Summer H. Howell) first days in high school. But during an age when school shooting drills are the norm and cyber bullying is common, her mother’s (Samantha Sloyan) warnings about the evils of the world feel more rational than previous versions of this tale. All of the major beats from the original “Carrie” story are part of Flanagan’s adaptation, including Carrie grappling with her powers, the Prom scene and her complicated relationship with her mother. But this new take also has several new twists that hint Carrie may not be as alone as she believes.
“‘Carrie’ is connecting with both longtime Stephen King fans and a new generation altogether — including young adults and international audiences, with particular strength among female viewers,” said Peter Friedlander, head of global television for Amazon MGM Studios. “It speaks to the enduring power of this story and signals that Mike Flanagan’s reimagining of the iconic IP has real breadth. We’re excited by where he and Stephen plan to take the story.”
“For 50 years, audiences have known and gravitated to Carrie White’s story. From the beginning, we imagined a story that goes far beyond the prom, and I’m incredibly grateful for Stephen’s trust and support in exploring what comes next,” Flanagan added.
“I can’t wait for audiences to get to see what’s down the road for Carrie White. Mike Flanagan and I are excited about what comes next. It’s bound to be thrilling,” King echoed.
In addition to Howell and Sloyan, “Carrie” Season 1 stars Siena Agudong, Alison Thornton, Joel Oulette, Josie Totah, Arthur Conti, Thalia Dudek, Amber Midthunder and Matthew Lillard. Its recurring guest stars include Kate Siegel, Michael Trucco, Crystal Balint, Rahul Kohli, Tim Bagley and Heather Graham. The series is an Amazon MGM Studios production.
Stephen King’s debut novel, “Carrie” was published in 1974 and launched his career as a beloved novelist. The book has sold more than 350 million copies worldwide, spent 14 weeks on The New York Times Bestseller list and has been translated into more than 35 languages. Brian De Palma adapted the novel for his 1976 film adaptation starring Sissy Spacek as Carrie White. The film was so well regarded that Spacek and Piper Laurie’s performances were both nominated for Academy Awards, a rarity for horror movies.
