Mike Flanagan returns to the world of Stephen King with his new miniseries "Carrie," now available on Prime Video. Flanagan admits that his new interpretation of "Carrie" significantly alters the original setting, and King himself was "excited" by these changes. The series seems poised to excite viewers who haven't read the book or seen Brian De Palma's 1976 film, while also offering something fresh to King's longtime fans familiar with both the novel and the movie.
This miniseries marks Flanagan's fourth adaptation of King's work. He previously adapted "Gerald's Game," "The Life of Chuck," and "Doctor Sleep," the sequel to "The Shining." It's safe to say he made changes to these works, especially "Doctor Sleep": during the adaptation, he had to balance fidelity to King's sequel novel with connecting to Stanley Kubrick's film version. So, among King's works that have already been adapted into films, is there one he believes should remain untouched?
When Chris Killian from ComicBook interviewed Flanagan and the cast during the media day for "Carrie," we asked him this question: Is there any Stephen King movie he doesn't want to see remade? Surprisingly, Flanagan's answer was firm: "The Shawshank Redemption? That's my answer. It's perfect, every frame is perfect. You can't reinterpret it, you can't improve it, and you can't find another angle. It's just perfect. It won't be that 50 years from now, someone suddenly says: 'Well, our understanding of the prison system is different now!' There's simply nothing to change. It's already just right."
Flanagan also included "Stand by Me" on the "should not be remade" list. "The Shawshank Redemption" (1994) was directed by Frank Darabont, and "Stand by Me" (1986) was directed by Rob Reiner; both are considered top filmmakers of their respective generations. These two films have also stood the test of time and remain classics today; fortunately, no one has seriously expressed an intention to remake either of them so far.
Samantha Sloyan, who plays Carrie's mother Margaret White, has a different perspective. Considering that their series is itself a reinterpretation of "Carrie," she disagrees with the blanket rejection of remaking King's works. "There will always be someone who finds a way. I'm willing to believe that anyone who wants to do it has their own reasons." However, she ultimately agrees with Flanagan's judgment: "The Shawshank Redemption" and "Stand by Me" truly do not need remakes. "You picked those two."
The cast of the 2026 version of "Carrie" includes Summer H. Howell as Carrie, and Samantha Sloyan ("Midnight Mass") as Carrie's domineering mother Margaret White. Allison Thornton plays the mean-spirited Chris Hargensen, Josie Totah plays Chris's friend Tina Blake, Siena Agudong plays Sue Snell, the popular girl who sympathizes with Carrie, Joel Ulatowski plays Sue's boyfriend Tommy Ross, and Talia Duder plays Carrie's friend Emmaline West.
The adult roles in the series are played by Amber Midthunder ("Prey") as gym teacher Rita Desjardin, Matthew Lillard ("Scream") as Principal Henry Grier, Katee Sackhoff ("Battlestar Galactica") as Emmaline's mother Amanda, Rahul Kohli ("Midnight Mass") as English teacher Seth Pestle, Tamer Hassan ("Battlestar Galactica") as Carrie's late father Ralph White, and Heather Graham ("Boogie Nights") as Chris's mother Madeline Hargensen.