A new version of Stephen King’s very first novel Carrie may be headed to television soon, according to The Hollywood Reporter. FX is working on a version of the story with MGM Television, the company behind Margaret Atwood adaptation The Handmaid’s Tale, suggesting Carrie could follow in the show’s Emmy-winning footsteps.
King’s Carrie tells the story of Carrie White, an unpopular, bullied teenager who wreaks telekinetic havoc on her gym — and later, her hometown — after a cruel prank is pulled on her at prom. The novel is told through newspaper clippings, interviews, and other documents.
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Carrie has been adapted multiple times over the years, most famously in 1976 with Sissy Spacek as the titular character. Spacek, dripping in pig’s blood while wearing her Prom Queen crown, became an iconic image of horror.
Unlike the book, the film version of Carrie told the story in a linear way, through Carrie’s perspective, offering a personal look at a frightened, abused, teenager unaware of her immense power in part due to her hyper-religious mother’s overbearing nature. A remake starring Chloë Grace Moretz hit theaters in 2013.
Though Carrie was written in the ‘70s, its themes — including school violence, bullying, the suppression of women — are still as relevant as ever.
A television series that utilizes King’s original format could be one way to portray Carrie on the small screen in a way that hasn’t been done before. Given the rise in popularity of true crime documentary series like Making a Murderer and Wild, Wild Country, it’s possible new version of Carrie could play out in a faux-doc style, bringing to life the interviews King crafted in his novel.
So far, no writer is attached to the project, which means we’ll have to wait and see how a 2020 version of Carrie looks. For fans of King, though, no need to worry: The author has a TV adaptation on nearly every network and streamer, including Hulu’s Castle Rock, HBO’s The Outsider, CBS All Access’ The Stand, and the upcoming Lisey’s Story on Apple.