It’s time to get excited, and also a little worried, as Prime Video is bringing Stephen King’s classic novel Carrie to the small screen in a series format. Because, you know, what could possibly go wrong with reimagining a horror classic? I mean, it’s not like we’ve seen this story done to death already (pun intended). The first look at the series has been released, and I’m both intrigued and skeptical at the same time. Mike Flanagan, the mastermind behind The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor, is at the helm, which is a good sign. But, let’s be real, we’ve all seen how well horror reboots and remakes can turn out (cough, cough, The Last of Us, cough).
The New Carrie: A Fresh Take on a Classic
Summer Howell has been cast as the titular character, Carrie White, after beating out 1,000 other young actresses for the role. That’s a lot of blood, sweat, and tears (not to mention bad auditions) to get to play the iconic character. Flanagan has stated that he’s not looking to simply retread the same old ground, which is a relief. Instead, he wants to “build something new out of the ingredients of Carrie,” whatever that means. I’m guessing it involves some clever marketing buzzwords like “reimagining” and “refreshing” the franchise.
A Change of Pace
Flanagan has promised that the TV adaptation will involve new storybeats and a different approach to the canon events, including the infamous prom scene. Because, let’s face it, who doesn’t love a good prom scene? It’s not like we’ve seen that done before (oh wait, we have). The showrunner has said that they’re “getting there a completely different way” and that the events of the prom will be “completely different.” I’m not sure what that means, but I’m willing to give it a shot. After all, Flanagan has done horror before, and he’s worked with Stephen King’s material in the past (The Life of Chuck, anyone?).
Prime Video’s Latest Gambit
The series is set to premiere this fall exclusively on Prime Video, because of course it is. Because what’s a streaming service without its own exclusive content, am I right? It’s not like we’re drowning in a sea of streaming services all vying for our attention (oh wait, we are). Two things are certain: Carrie’s first foray into television is going to be a wild ride, and it’s going to look markedly different from what fans are used to. Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing remains to be seen.
And so, dear readers, we’ll just have to wait and see how this all plays out. Will Prime Video’s Carrie be a hit or a miss? Will it be a faithful adaptation or a total departure from the original material? One thing’s for sure: I’ll be watching, if only to see how they manage to mess it up. After all, as any gamer knows, the only thing more entertaining than a good game is a bad game with a lot of potential. Bring on the prom scene, I say!
Pixel P. Snarkbyte, widely regarded as the “Shakespeare of Sh*tposts,” is a video game expert with a unique knack for turning pixels into punchlines.
Born in the small town of Respawn, Pennsylvania, Pixel grew up mashing buttons on an ancient NES controller, firmly believing that “blowing into the cartridge” was a sacred ritual passed down through generations.
Pixel P. Snarkbyte: proving that life, much like a buggy open-world game, is better with a little lag-induced chaos.
