Mike Flanagan reimagines Carrie for new generation facing cyberbullying, active shooter drills 

TORONTO – Carrie returns this week in a new eight-part adaptation from horror film-maker Mike Flanagan, reimagining author Stephen King’s classic story of the same name for a modern audience through social media, cyberbullying and active shooter drills.

The American showrunner said he never expected to revisit Carrie, but his perspective shifted as his son was getting ready to enter high school.

“There were so many ideas in Carrie that feel even more relevant today than they did half a century ago when the book was written,” Flanagan, 48, said. “I thought we could do something really new with it.”

The series follows a socially isolated teenager struggling to fit in at high school while navigating a complicated relationship with her overprotective mother (played by Samantha Sloyan). The adaptation updates King’s 1974 novel with issues facing teenagers in the modern era.

Canadian actress Summer H. Howell, who plays Carrie White, said she was initially intimidated by taking on an iconic role – most famously portrayed by Sissy Spacek in the 1976 film – but that the opportunity to explore the character over eight episodes appealed to her.

“It was a little intimidating,” Howell, 22, said. “But then I realised that they were going for something different with this Carrie, and there was more time to explore her story.”

American actor Matthew Lillard, who plays Principal Henry Grayle, said the show’s themes resonated with him as a parent because of online harassment and the pressures facing teenagers.

“My kids are subjected to the horrific trolls that live in the darkness of the internet,” the 56-year-old said.

Canadian-American actress Alison Thornton, who portrays Carrie’s antagonist Chris Hargensen, said social media has changed the nature of bullying.

“People feel way more comfortable bullying online than in person,” Thornton, 27, said. “They don’t really have to face the consequences.”

Flanagan, best known for his Netflix supernatural horror series The Haunting Of Hill House (2018), The Haunting Of Bly Manor (2020) and Midnight Mass (2021), said he wanted every character in Carrie to feel real and complicated, while exploring the choices people make between cruelty and kindness.

American actress Sloyan, 47, said the series also highlights personal responsibility.

“I also do think that he is putting a spotlight on the fact that we do have choice and there is an agency we have within that,” she said, adding that Carrie explores “the humanity involved”.

Howell said the series ultimately carries a simple message: “Be kind to one another, even when you’re not feeling great yourself.” REUTERS