After Mike Flanagan Shares Exciting Update For Carrie TV Series, I Need To Talk About Who Should Play The Stephen King Fave

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As a dedicated horror enthusiast with years of binge-watching and shivering nights under my belt, I can confidently say that Mike Flanagan has been the unsung hero of modern horror, consistently delivering chilling adaptations that keep us on our toes. The announcement of his upcoming Carrie series left me positively giddy, like a cat ready to pounce on a freshly unwrapped ball of yarn.

As a dedicated gamer and horror enthusiast, I can’t help but notice the buzz surrounding Stephen King adaptations these days, with Mike Flanagan, another horror maestro, being a recurring name in the conversation. His movie “The Life of Chuck” is yet to grace our screens as he works diligently on both a “Dark Tower” TV show and a series based on the heart-wrenching character from the prom nightmare, “Carrie.” The latter was just announced in October 2024, but Flanagan has already shared some encouraging updates, making me optimistic about the project. With casting decisions around the corner, I thought it would be fun to share my dream cast for this upcoming horror series.

Mike Flanagan’s Carrie Update

It seemed reasonable to assume that with the pre-Halloween announcement of Mike Flanagan’s Exorcist reimagining, the production of Carrie might be delayed for smoothing out any issues. However, it appears that the development was already underway when the news broke, and it seems to be progressing well according to recent updates (as shared by Stephen King himself).

The filmmaker responded to one follower’s comment about the adaptation on BlueSky, saying:

We are 6 weeks into the writers room!

Admittedly, time invested in the writers’ room doesn’t necessarily mean a project will be produced right away, but it’s fascinating to reflect on how quickly news about it was announced. Although Mike Flanagan’s projects aren’t often rejected by studios these days, there’s always an underlying sense of unease, much like when the popular kids seem overly friendly.

Let’s stay positive and hope that news about casting for Carrie will surface soon, which means I can share my top two choices for the telepathic teen character. Interestingly enough, both of these picks are familiar faces in Mike Flanagan’s frequent collaborators’ circle.

McKenna Grace

At 18 years old, McKenna Grace has already made a significant mark in the horror genre with her extensive portfolio. Some of her previous works within this genre include “Suburban Gothic”, “Frankenstein”, “Amityville: The Awakening”, “Annabelle Comes Home”, and “Malignant”. On the television side, she has appeared in episodes of “The Vampire Diaries”, both Lifetime movies based on “The Bad Seed”, “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina”, R.L. Stine’s “Just Beyond” series, among others. With her upcoming role in “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” in 2024, she is poised to further solidify her position as a prominent figure in the horror genre at such a young age. (read our review)

Grace has notably collaborated with Mike Flanagan on “The Haunting of Hill House,” where she played Theodora Crain in the flashback sequence. Her exceptional performance in this role was noteworthy, considering her age at the time. Given her past collaboration and the busy schedule both actors have maintained since then, it’s intriguing to consider that they haven’t worked together again. However, Grace has kept herself exceptionally occupied, juggling multiple projects in both movies and television each year.

As a devoted fan, I’m thrilled to share that Grace is deeply engaged with several exciting 2025 films. These include “Nobody 2” starring Bob Odenkirk, the opioid drama “Spider & Jessie”, the suspenseful “Anniversary”, and the satirical “Slanted”. However, it appears there are no significant TV projects on her horizon outside of lending her voice to Nocturna in Prime Video’s “Batman: Caped Crusader”. To make the most of this gap, what could be more appealing than embodying a tormented teenager driven by revenge?

Through various projects, it’s clear that Grace consistently delivers authentic performances across different genres, convincingly portraying vulnerability as well as assertiveness. I believe she would collaborate exceptionally well with any actor chosen to play Carrie’s devout mother – Kate Siegel being an excellent choice in my opinion! Similarly, she would mesh seamlessly with the other teen actors involved in the production.

While I strongly consider McKenna Grace as the perfect fit for Carrie White in Mike Flanagan’s upcoming series, I’m equally convinced that another promising young actress from his past projects, Kyliegh Curran, could also bring a captivating, nuanced performance to the role. This fresh interpretation by Kyliegh might add an intriguing twist to Stephen King’s original source material.

For younger audiences, Curran may be primarily recognized through her performances in Disney’s “Secrets of Sulphur Springs”. However, horror enthusiasts highly appreciate her understated yet impactful roles as Abra Stone in Mike Flanagan’s “Doctor Sleep” and as Lenore Usher in his Edgar Allen Poe adaptation “Fall of the House of Usher”. These movies are standouts among the best horrors available on Netflix.

It’s plausible to imagine that Flanagan’s creative team might re-imagine the classic story of Carrie, making adjustments to the casting, such as portraying the central mother and daughter as a Black family. This adaptation would necessitate more intricate explorations of their religious convictions and the bullying that Carrie experiences, taking into account the unique cultural context and experiences of African American communities.

No matter if my preferred option is selected or they choose an entirely different actress, I’ll be fixed in place on my prom king chair, eagerly awaiting new developments about Carrie.

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2024-11-20 21:37