When Summer H. Howell first stepped into the role of Carrie White, she did it with a blank slate. The 22-year-old actor had never read Stephen King’s novel, never watched a single screen version, and knew nothing about the telekinesis or the relentless bullying at the heart of the story. She told Entertainment Weekly that Stephen King‘s character was simply someone new to her, a person whose feelings she could explore straight from the scripts.
Even now, Howell still hasn’t read King’s 1974 novel or watched any Carrie adaptation — and that was by design. After talking it through with her, Mike Flanagan decided she shouldn’t study Sissy Spacek’s performance in the 1976 film. He wanted her to build a version of Carrie that felt entirely her own.
That unfamiliarity turned out to be an asset. It helped Howell stand out from the more than 1,400 actors who auditioned for the part. “A big part of my Carrie is that she’s open and curious about the world and wants to experience things,” she said.
There was one thing she did know going in: the pig’s blood at prom. While filming that infamous scene, Howell recalled Flanagan pausing to let the cast and crew take in the weight of the moment. “We’re in Carrie White’s prom,” he told them.
The upcoming Prime Video series gives Flanagan more room to expand a story that has already seen several film and television adaptations. His version places Carrie within a broader community of gifted women, following young characters as they discover their power — and the risks that come with it.
It’s familiar territory for the filmmaker. Flanagan has previously adapted King’s Gerald’s Game, Doctor Sleep and The Life of Chuck, and he’s currently working on a new version of The Mist.
