Stephen King initially wanted Mike Flanagan to leave Carrie alone when Flanagan proposed a TV series. Flanagan sent him a series bible laying out a different version with fundamental changes and King changed his mind. Flanagan recalls King saying, “Ohh, now I’m interested, just as a fan.”
King’s approval was a condition of making the series. Flanagan said, “if Steve had said no, I wouldn’t do it.”
The change King got most excited about was expanding the book’s hint that Carrie isn’t the only girl with these powers, building out a world of gifted women around her. The invented characters include Adelaide, Emaline, and Amanda. Flanagan says King “had a lot of ideas” about all 3 of them.
The reason for the overhaul is how much the teenage experience has changed since King’s 1974 novel: phones in the locker room, metal detectors, bullying that goes viral. After seeing the finished show, King posted that Flanagan’s version is “brilliant” and that “what it has to say about social media is shocking and true.”
All eight episodes are streaming on Prime Video now, out since October 7. King is credited as an executive producer.
