Mike Flanagan’s Carrie Reboot Finds Its Cast (And There’s Lots of Fan Favorites)

Prime Video just announced the lead cast members for its new series adaptation of Stephen King’s Carrie. The titular role will be played by Summer Howell, best known for her role in Cult of Chucky, while Carrie’s mother Margaret will be played by Samantha Sloyan, who just recently starred in The Pitt. Prime Video announced several other stars on Tuesday, according to The Hollywood Reporter, adding to the small list of stars we had already heard about. This is all coming together quickly considering the show was just greenlit back in April, but at this point, showrunner Mike Flanagan is a seasoned veteran of King adaptations, so perhaps the efficiency is no surprise.

Howell is 21 years old, but already has an impressive resume after years as a child actor. Her most recent role was in last year’s Netflix original film Time Cut, where she played Jessica. Much of her work has been in the horror genre, making her a great fit for Carrie. Meanwhile, Sloyan should be a familiar face for Flanagan fans, as she played Bev Keane in Midnight Mass. She also has a role in Flanagan’s latest movie, The Life of Chuck, playing Miss Rohrbacher.

The other stars announced on Tuesday are Alison Thornton as Chris Hargensen, Thalia Dudek as Emaline, Amber Midthunder as Miss Desjardin, Josie Totah as Tina, Arthur Conti as Billy, and Joel Oulette as Tommy. Previous reports had already confirmed that Siena Agudong will be playing Sue Snell, while Matthew Lillard will play Principal Grayle. Howell’s involvement was reported back in April as well, but the deal hadn’t been finalized until now.

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This remake of Carrie has been in development since late last year, and the streaming series format isn’t the only way it will be different from past adaptations, or the original novel. According to Prime Video, it’s a “bold and timely reimagining” of this classic tale, and it’s not hard to imagine how apt the story could be in a modern setting. Carrie is all about abuse and bullying, issues that are more relevant and more terrifying than ever for school children today.

Carrie was King’s first novel, published in 1974. It was first adapted for the screen in 1976, and that movie has become a classic. A film-only sequel was released in 1999, followed by a new adaptation in 2002. The story was adapted once again in 2013. If all that weren’t enough, it was adapted into an infamous Broadway musical in 1988, which has gotten terrible reviews in its two brief runs on the stage.

Despite its familiarity, Flanagan’s name alone should be enough to entice fans into watching Carrie’s adventure yet again. The filmmaker wrote the screenplays for Doctor Sleep, Gerald’s Game, and The Life of Chuck, and his “dream project” is an upcoming series adaptation of King’s epic fantasy series The Dark Tower.

Carrie is in the works now, but there’s still no projected release date for the series. In the meantime, fans can find King’s novel in print, digital, and audiobook formats, and both the 1976 and 2013 versions of Carrie streaming now on HBO Max.