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

Horror and literature followers alike will likely 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 executed.”

You possibly can’t blame him for hesitating; the guide has already been tailored a number of instances. 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 function The Life of Chuck.

“However once I went to Steve, his reply was ‘Why?’ His first response was, ‘Depart her alone. She’s been by means of sufficient.’ However it’s that factor the place the extra data I might share, and sending him the bible and the plan for the present, he might see the factor we had been attempting to do this was new.” Flanagan defined. “Then he mentioned with out gifting away 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 had 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 at college however at house. How that may remodel within the digital age knowledgeable his take. “The factor I might say is the unique story is half a century outdated and it’s great. Its themes had been about youth and bullying and the implications of that. I consider that in in the present day’s fashionable world, the ability of what it means to be a bully, the breadth of that and the affect of bullying, have modified loads,” he mentioned.

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

“I can’t actually discuss what we’re doing, I can solely actually discuss 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 unsuitable. I really feel like they’ve executed that, too.”

This new model of the story will seemingly tie into how social constructions have turn into extra poisonous, within the age of on-line platforms changing into locations of radicalization even when youngsters go away faculties. “We’re centered far more on the destruction of a neighborhood by means of these very fashionable instruments. What occurs in a world the place the web has created an atmosphere 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 folks have telephones of their arms is a complete completely different factor.”

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

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