Carrie (TV series)

Production

Mike Flanagan struck a first-look TV deal with Amazon Studios in December 2022. He immediately tried to get a series based on Stephen King's The Dark Tower off the ground, but that proved too complicated to launch. Amazon then floated the idea of adapting King's 1974 novel Carrie instead. Flanagan pitched a fresh take that even got King excited, so he brought in his usual collaborators.

In October 2024, Amazon Prime Video announced that Flanagan's first project under the deal would be an eight-episode miniseries based on Carrie. A writers' room started working on expanding the story. Flanagan had already directed King adaptations like Gerald's Game, Doctor Sleep, and The Life of Chuck. Around the same time, he pitched a Clayface movie to James Gunn and Peter Safran for the DC Universe, but when production rolled around, he was too busy with Carrie and The Exorcist: Martyrs to direct, so James Watkins took over.

Flanagan wrote and ran the series, directing four episodes himself. King also serves as an executive producer. Because Carrie is one of King's shortest novels and the show runs eight episodes, Flanagan admitted they had to stretch the story to fill that longform format. He never considered this a straight adaptation.

In his view, Brian De Palma already did a faithful and beautiful version with the 1976 film, which spawned a sequel, two more official and unofficial adaptations, and countless imitations. For Flanagan, the only worthwhile approach was to cook up something new from the original ingredients.

Did You Know?

• The series is set to premiere in the 'Primetime' program at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival in September 2026.
• A tie-in book edition based on the 1974 novel and the series is set to be released by Vintage Books on September 29, 2026.
• Principal photography occurred in Vancouver, Canada, from June to October 2025.