Stephen King, Mike Flanagan Team Up For Carrie Series at Amazon

Get ready to dive back into the messy world of one sheltered, telekinetic teen!

Deadline reported today that an adaptation of Stephen King’s 1974 novel Carrie will soon be headed to the small screen.

The eight-episode limited series will be helmed by longtime King acolyte Mike Flanagan.

King’s literary debut is half a century old, and it’s been adapted multiple times already.

The most famous version, of course, is the 1976 Brian DePalma film starring Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie, and John Travolta.

• Nobody Wants This is a Bold Take on Interfaith Romance
  by Thomas Godwin
• Lake Mungo: This 2008 Aussie Mockumentary Might Be the Best Horror Film of Its Decade
  by Tyler Johnson
• Crafting Chemistry: How Brilliant Minds Is Mastering the Art of the Slow Burn
  by Jasmine Blu

An ill-conceived sequel hit theaters in 1999, followed by two remakes (2002 and 2013) that also failed to make much of a splash.

But if anyone can break the Carries curse, it’s Flanagan.

For one thing, Flanagan’s recent Netflix projects have demonstrated that he might be the modern master of the limited series.

On top of that, he’s no stranger to adapting King’s work.

Flanagan previously directed Gerald’s Game and Doctor Sleep, and his adaptation of the King short story The Life of Chuck is currently drawing raves on the festival circuit.

But the most important qualifier might be the fact that Flanagan is a master of the loose literary adaptation.

Let’s face it: Most horror aficionados are already at least passingly familiar with the basic plot of Carrie.

And at a scant 200 pages, the book really wouldn’t lend itself well to a slavishly loyal eight-hour retelling.

That means Flanagan is free to do what he does best — reexamine the book’s central themes through a lens of his own creation.

• 15 Great Psychological Horror Films on Streaming Right Now
  by Michael Arangua
• Survive or Die: Which TV Characters Would Make it Out of a Horror Movie Alive?
  by Lisa Babick
• A New 9-1-1 Spinoff is In the Works: Where Should The First Responders Touch Down Next?
  by Whitney Evans

His version of Shirley Jackson’s Haunting of Hill House was only vaguely inspired by the classic 1959 novel.

And its follow-up, The Haunting of Bly Manor, took major liberties with its source material, Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw.

Anyone who’s familiar with King’s reaction to Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining knows that the maestro from Maine is not always a big fan of directors playing fast and loose with his work.

But King and Flanagan have enjoyed a close working relationship for several years, and we’re sure the director will once again earn the full-throated approval of his unofficial mentor.

Hey, if nothing else, this project is sure to outshine the unfortunate Salem’s Lot adaptation that landed with a resounding thud on Max this month.

What do you think, TV fanatics? Are you ready to watch Carrie reenter the spotlight, or is this project about as appealing as a bucket of pig’s blood?

Hit the comments section below to share your thoughts!

The post Stephen King, Mike Flanagan Team Up For Carrie Series at Amazon appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Source: TV Fanatic