Mike Flanagan Breaks His Own Rule to Reimagine Stephen King’s Carrie

Acclaimed horror filmmaker Mike Flanagan is stepping into familiar yet challenging territory. The director has confirmed that his upcoming television miniseries adaptation of Carrie required him to break one of his long-standing creative rules: no remakes and no sequels. The project marks Flanagan’s fourth adaptation of a Stephen King work and his first time revisiting a story that has already been told repeatedly across film, television, and even Broadway.

A Story That Refuses to Fade

First published in 1974, Carrie remains one of the most frequently adapted works in horror history. The novel was famously brought to the screen in 1976 by Brian De Palma, starring Sissy Spacek. Since then, the story has seen a sequel, a TV movie, a Broadway musical, and a 2013 remake starring Chloë Grace Moretz. Despite its many iterations, the tale of a bullied teenage girl with telekinetic powers continues to resonate with audiences, ensuring its place in pop culture.

Flanagan’s ‘No Remakes’ Philosophy

Flanagan has long stated that he prefers original stories or fresh literary adaptations over remakes. Speaking to Empire Magazine in its January 2026 issue, he admitted that Carrie forced him to bend that philosophy.

“I’ve really enjoyed chasing the things that hadn’t already been done,” Flanagan explained, adding that he only agreed to take on Carrie after discovering what he described as a “timely and new” angle.

Familiar Territory, New Perspective

The core story remains well known. Carrie White grows up under the control of an abusive, religiously extreme mother while enduring relentless bullying at school. When her telekinetic abilities emerge, the tension builds toward a devastating prom night that ends in violent revenge. Flanagan has not revealed specific plot details for his miniseries. However, he has emphasized that his version will explore the story from a perspective that hasn’t been fully examined in previous adaptations.

Not the First Rule He’s Bent

While Flanagan often speaks about avoiding sequels, he previously made an exception with Doctor Sleep, adapting Stephen King’s sequel to The Shining. That project served as both a continuation of King’s novel and Stanley Kubrick’s iconic film. Similarly, Flanagan’s television works—including The Haunting of Hill House and The Fall of the House of Usher—have reinterpreted classic literary material that had already been adapted many times before.

A New Generation of Carrie

The upcoming Carrie miniseries stars Summer H. Howell as Carrie White. While expectations are high, Flanagan’s track record with character-driven horror has sparked cautious optimism among fans. Whether this new take will redefine the story or simply add another chapter to its long adaptation history remains to be seen. For Flanagan, however, the decision was clear: the story still had something new to say.