Nearly 50 years after director Brian De Palma brought Stephen King’s 1974 novel “Carrie” to theaters, horror aficionado Mike Flanagan has adapted the story for modern audiences courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios. With numerous horror adaptations under his belt—including Netflix limited series “The Haunting of Hill House,” “The Haunting of Bly Manor,” and “The Fall of the House of Usher”—Flanagan wrote and executive produced the new “Carrie” series for Prime Video, as well as acted as showrunner. Intrepid Pictures’ Trevor Macy served as executive producer.
This isn’t Flanagan’s first adaptation of King’s work, of course; he directed 2019’s “Doctor Sleep” (King’s follow-up to “The Shining”), 2017’s “Gerald’s Game,” and, most recently, 2024’s “The Life of Chuck.”
All eight episodes of "Carrie" debut on the streamer on Oct. 7. Want to learn more about this project? Let our guide be your go-to resource.
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King’s novel follows teenager Carrie White as she struggles to control the supernatural power she holds. Bullied as an outsider during the school day, Carrie must also endure her religious mother’s wrath as she repeatedly scolds her daughter for the hypothetical sins that come with burgeoning womanhood. However, Carrie’s experience differs from the girls in her class due to her telekinetic powers. In the novel—and subsequently in De Palma’s 1976 film—Carrie ultimately uses her powers to exact revenge against her tormentors, culminating in her memorable murderous rampage.
Flanagan’s series expands on the events leading up to that fateful prom night. As Flanagan told MovieWeb, updating “Carrie” for a modern audience means integrating technology’s impact on today’s teenage experience, adding new layers to a story that many fans consider the greatest horror film in cinematic history.
Here are the main actors who’ve signed on to the project:
- Summer H. Howell as Carrie White
- Samantha Sloyan as Margaret White
- Alison Thornton as Chris Hargensen
- Thalia Dudek as Emaline
- Siena Agudong as Sue Snell
- Amber Midthunder as Miss Desjardin
- Josie Totah as Tina
- Arthur Conti as Billy
- Joel Oulette as Tommy Ross
- Matthew Lillard as Principal Grayle
According to Deadline, many of Flanagan’s frequent collaborators have also joined the series, including Kate Siegel (Flanagan’s wife), Michael Trucco, Katee Sackhoff, Rahul Kohli, Crystal Balint, and Danielle Klaudt, though character details remain under wraps. Along with Sloyan, these actors have all appeared on the showrunner’s previous projects like “The Fall of the House of Usher,” “Midnight Mass,” and “Oculus.”
Anne McCarthy and Kellie Roy of Engine Casting served as the series' casting directors. The casting duo has worked on many of Flanagan's previous series, including “Midnight Mass,” “The Fall of the House of Usher,” and “The Haunting of Bly Manor.”
For insight into what the “Carrie” casting process might be like, find out how the CDs used self-tapes to cast the kids for “The Haunting of Hill House.”
Flanagan and King are both masters of horror, so there’s no doubt this adaptation will be scary good. If you want to impress the CDs with your frighteningly fantastic acting skills, our guides can help take your talent to the next level:
- How to Scream Safely
- Tips for Acting Scared on Stage and in Film
- The Best Horror Movies for Actors to Study
Flanagan has his methods for deciding who’s right for each role. “My favorite version of things is to go to an actor and say, ‘This is what I see for you, and here’s an offer to do it.’ If I can’t do that, then I don’t; I try not to say anything,” he told CinemaBlend. “I’m not perfect at that. Because sometimes I slip up, especially with Kate, who’s—I mean, she’s just so close to the whole process. She knows what I’m thinking for everybody. So I guess I have told—yeah, Kate Siegel knows my plans. She knows where I see [things], and she’s there when it changes and when it swings. And she’s always aware of it.
“Occasionally, I’ve mentioned to, like, Sam Sloyan or to Rahul Kohli, ‘Hey, I’d love this for you, but I don’t know if I can guarantee it.’ But in general, I try not to promise things I can’t deliver,” he continued. “But I have a grid of kind of my actors that have names scribbled next to them for ‘The Exorcist,’ for ‘Carrie,’ and for ‘Dark Tower.’ And that’s always really fun. I just never want them to see the grid too early.”
When talking to the Hollywood Reporter, however, Flanagan did offer some insight into how Howell was cast as Carrie. “I think we looked at 1,800 different candidates for that role,” he revealed. “It was an exhaustive process. Ultimately, I think we ended up with the right actor for the part. It took a long time to find her, and I can’t wait for people to see what she’s doing, because it’s unlike anything that anyone’s ever done with the part before.”
The new “Carrie” series isn’t currently casting, as production wrapped in Vancouver back in Oct. 2025. However, Flanagan has openly shared his hopes for expanding the story. “In my dream scenario, I think 'Carrie' has a wonderful three-step arc,” he told Collider. “It’s a trilogy, really.”
As we wait for renewal news, we suggest checking out these roundups, which feature the latest and greatest casting calls available:
Nurture your creative process. Dudek (“Doctor Who,” “Better Man”) understands that auditions can be nerve-wracking, but they also know these opportunities offer actors the chance to embrace their full creative potential. “I know a lot of actors find auditions quite stressful, and I’m not an exception to that at all, but as I’ve gotten older and more disciplined as an actor, I’ve found a new sense of freedom in my creative process,” Dudek told Mud magazine.
They add, “There’s all the technical things in a script that give you insight into what the casting agents might want to see, from the structure of the dialogue to the way your character’s lines are punctuated. But I’m a huge academic and love diving into narrative with lots of notes, so my creative process usually starts with combing through the lines to discover hidden meanings, words that aren’t said, and how the delivery of each line influences the next.”
Learn everything about everything. At 25, Thornton’s (“School Spirits,” “Nancy Drew”) entire life has been preparing her for a career in the performing arts. From piano lessons to dance recitals, she learned at an early age that hard work pays off and everything you learn along the way helps to inform your performances down the road.
“Make sure to be ready for opportunities when they come, and study every aspect of the industry that you can,” she told 604 Now. “Read about editing, directing, casting, writing, producing, etc. The more you know about everyone’s role, and what they need from you, the better off you will be. Also, don’t be afraid to immerse yourself in different things. I recently took up singing lessons, and I’ve already had to use that in a couple of auditions. I also really think that dance helps me physically inhabit roles, so everything that you do counts.”
Embrace your authentic self. As a transgender actor, Totah (“ The Buccaneers,” “Mr. Mayor”) knows what it means to step into your true self, and she wants other performers to know that embracing your authenticity will help you stand out from the crowd.
“When I was on ‘The View,’ I went backstage to Whoopi Goldberg’s dressing room and she told me, ‘People are going to love what you do and people are going to hate what you do, but you have to keep doing it. You have to stand up and do what you know is true, despite what people are going to say,’ ” she shared with Teen Vogue. “And I’m taking that into every aspect of my life…. I want to tell everyone that, no matter what’s keeping them from being their authentic self, hold onto the hope that there will be an end to that road. There will be a life where they can live their true self.”