The Best Stephen King Adaptation In Years Will Be A New…

Summary

Carrie is one of Stephen King's most adapted novels, with multiple film versions.
Mike Flanagan's track record with King's work may lead to a fresh TV series adaptation.
Flanagan's approach offers a unique way to tell the story, potentially subverting audience expectations.

The next great Stephen King adaptation may actually be from a story that audiences have seen three times before. King's work has been resonating with fans for decades, with his horror stories being some of the most renowned of the modern era. His works have also been adapted into movies and TV shows, including Salem's Lot, It, and The Shining.

King's debut novel, 1974's Carrie, was also the first of his works adapted into a movie. The story follows the awkward teen Carrie, who suffers abuse at home from her religious fanatic mother and bullying in school, which all culminates in her flexing her telekinetic powers in a bloody act of revenge against those who wronged her. The film adaptation became a horror classic and began a wave of the author's work making similar transitions to new forms of media. Carrie is one of King's most well-known works, and has been adapted several times. With the recent announcement of another Carrie adaptation, some may feel as though the story has nothing new to share. However, with Mike Flanagan at the helm, the next iteration of Carrie could prove to be the best one yet.

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By Timothy McClelland

Carrie Is One Of Stephen King's Most Adapted Novels

The 1974 novel was adapted quickly, hitting theaters in 1976 with Sissy Spacek playing the title role. Brian De Palma directed Carrie, which remains one of his career highlights, with the film also marking an early role for John Travolta. Even beyond the story, Carrie's blood and fire-fueled prom scene is remembered as one of cinema's most intense finales, cementing the movie's place as a horror classic. De Palma's take on the novel is the only iteration to garner a sequel. 1999's The Rage: Carrie 2 was was a separate script that had nothing to do with King's novel, but instead followed Carrie's younger half-sister.

In 2002, there was another adaptation of Carrie, a made-for-television movie written by Dead Like Me and Pushing Daisies creator Bryan Fuller. Angela Bettis played Carrie, but the adaptation was criticized for not adding anything new to the story, and De Palma's version still stood superior. Another film adaptation hit theaters in 2013 from Boys Don't Cry director Kimberly Peirce, starring Chloë Grace Moretz in the title role. Unfortunately, the 2013 Carrie was maligned as another unnecessary rehash of the material. Almost 50 years later, most agree that the 1976 original is still the best take on King's first novel.

Mike Flanagan Has A Stellar History With Stephen King

While Carrie has been seen several times before, Mike Flanagan has a proven track record with King adaptations. Flanagan's first film foray into King's works came in the form of Netflix's 2017 thriller Gerald's Game, starring Carla Gugino and Bruce Greenwood. Gerald's Game impressed critics and audiences who were blown away by Gugino's performance and the small-scale tension Flanagan was able to capture. The movie even had standout scenes, like the gory handcuff escape, that still resonate with audiences.

Flanagan would next tackle King's sequel to The Shining, Doctor Sleep. While King was notoriously not a fan of Stanley Kubrick's take on The Shining, Flanagan got the author's blessing, crafting a follow-up to the 1980 film and an adaptation of King's 2013 Doctor Sleep novel. Doctor Sleep was loved by critics and audiences, offering the chills King's work is known for and the poignant character work Flanagan excels at, but underperformed in theaters.

Flanagan also has The Life of Chuck hitting theaters, which is based on King's novella of the same name. It features a star-studded cast, with Tom Hiddleston in the lead, and has proven to continue garnering the positive reviews Flanagan's King adaptations are known for. Beyond Flanagan's upcoming adaptation of Carrie, he is also working on a TV series based on King's Dark Tower series. The show is still a ways off, but it's obvious that the director has numerous plans for the author's beloved works.

Mike Flanagan's Carrie Could Be A Fresh Take On The Story

Given that Carrie has been covered several times, and each subsequent adaptation has seemed more unnecessary than the last, some audiences may not be eager for another stab at the beloved novel. However, Flanagan's track record with King's work should help to inspire confidence.

Beyond his filmography, Flanagan's decision to approach Carrie as a TV series offers a unique new way to flesh out the story. Any novel adapted into a film ends up cutting material or missing elements that readers love. While the upcoming Carrie adaptation could still end up doing the same, allowing the story to thrive over several hours of television could present a more impactful way to tell the supernatural tale. It has the potential to subvert the expectations of audiences that think they know how it will play out.

Flanagan has also thrived with limited horror series runs, like The Haunting of Hill House, Midnight Mass, and The Fall of the House of Usher. The director knows how to craft a thrilling series that thrives on character development, with the horror coming from genuine tension that runs deeper due to time spent within the story world.

The cast of Carrie was recently announced, with Summer Howell in the title role alongside Matthew Lillard and Amber Midthunder, showing that the series is well into development. While many may feel another adaptation of Carrie could be unnecessary, the change from film to TV and Flanagan's history with King's work make for an exciting prospect that could be an intense, chilling take on the character.

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