How Mike Flanagan Will Make ‘Carrie’ Really feel Like a New Story

Horror and literature followers alike will probably be excited to listen to that seasoned Stephen King cinematic universe storyteller Mike Flanagan has one thing new deliberate for his Carrie adaptation. The eight episode mini-series proposed by Amazon was an thought Flanagan initially balked at. He informed Variety, “I initially thought, ‘Why? It’s been achieved.”

You may’t blame him for hesitating; the guide has already been tailored a number of occasions. However after giving it appreciable thought, he mentioned, “I discovered a solution to that query, and it made me very excited.”

He then turned to somebody who clearly wanted to be a part of the dialogue: famed horror creator Stephen King, who Flanagan has had a fruitful working relationship with—together with on his present characteristic The Life of Chuck.

“However after I went to Steve, his reply was ‘Why?’ His first response was, ‘Go away her alone. She’s been by way of sufficient.’ But it surely’s that factor the place the extra info I may share, and sending him the bible and the plan for the present, he may see the factor we have been attempting to do this was new.” Flanagan defined. “Then he mentioned with out making a gift of an excessive amount of, ‘Ohh, now I’m , simply as a fan. I’m excited to see the place this goes.’ As soon as he mentioned sure, then we have been off, as a result of if Steve had mentioned no, I wouldn’t do it. So the connection has developed, however he’s all the time remained extremely respectful of separating the guide and the film.”

The Physician Sleep filmmaker seeks to modernize the narrative we learn about Carrie’s wrestle to slot in, not simply in school however at dwelling. How that may remodel within the digital age knowledgeable his take. “The factor I’d say is the unique story is half a century previous and it’s fantastic. Its themes have been about youth and bullying and the results of that. I imagine that in immediately’s fashionable world, the ability of what it means to be a bully, the breadth of that and the impression of bullying, have modified lots,” he mentioned.

“The central tenets are nonetheless the identical, but it surely’s about rather more than Carrie White,” Flanagan teased, hinting that whereas different on-screen variations centered on Carrie, he plans on deeper explorations of the opposite characters and world round her as nicely.

“I can’t actually speak about what we’re doing, I can solely actually speak about what we’re not doing. We’re not retelling the story because it’s been informed, and we’re not making a present about telekinesis. It’s in there, however that’s not what it’s about,” he mentioned, ruling out about leaning an excessive amount of into Carrie’s supernatural inclinations. “There’s a model of it the place Carrie White carries a tragic superhero origin story that goes horribly improper. I really feel like they’ve achieved that, too.”

This new model of the story will seemingly tie into how social constructions have develop into extra poisonous, within the age of on-line platforms turning into locations of radicalization even when youngsters depart faculties. “We’re targeted far more on the destruction of a neighborhood by way of these very fashionable instruments. What occurs in a world the place the web has created an surroundings of perceived anonymity? Carrie White within the locker room in each iteration is a horrifying scene,” he mentioned. “Carrie White within the locker room when individuals have telephones of their arms is a complete totally different factor.”

That positively brings to thoughts modern youth-centered dramas resembling Adolescence however by the use of Stephen King Horror—and we are able to’t wait to see what Flanagan comes up with.

Need extra io9 information? Try when to anticipate the most recent Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s subsequent for the DC Universe on film and TV, and all the things it’s good to learn about the way forward for Doctor Who.