# Mike Flanagan on Remaking Carrie > Mike Flanagan explains why he remade Stephen King's Carrie for modern audiences. - Title: Mike Flanagan on Remaking Carrie · Men's Health | Shortify - Summary: Mike Flanagan explains why he remade Stephen King's Carrie for modern audiences. Mike Flanagan remakes Carrie to explore modern bullying and kindness through… - Keywords: mike flanagan, carrie, stephen king, netflix, prime video, the haunting of hill house, the fall of the house of usher, sue snell, carrie white, alison thornton, matthew lillard, samantha sloyan - Source: Men's Health — https://menshealth.com/entertainment/a74070271/carrie-mike-flanagan-interview-male-characters - Author: Evan Romano - Published: 2026-10-09T17:26:01+00:00 - Read time: 1 min - Topics: mike flanagan, carrie, stephen king, netflix, prime video, the haunting of hill house, the fall of the house of usher, sue snell, carrie white, alison thornton, matthew lillard, samantha sloyan ## Mike Flanagan's initial response Mike Flanagan initially refused to remake Carrie, saying he didn't see the need. > Nah ## Modern relevance of Carrie Flanagan connected Carrie to modern issues like bullying and family abuse. > he was thinking about a story out of Albany, California ## Flanagan's adaptation approach Flanagan uses Carrie's structure to explore modern characters and their struggles. > you do something new, and you use Carrie and the structure and the characters that we think we know as a way to usher this story into being ## Flanagan's previous adaptations Flanagan adapted The Haunting of Hill House and The Fall of the House of Usher successfully. > His Netflix series The Haunting of Hill House and The Fall of the House of Usher were based on the works of Shirley Jackson and Edgar Allan Poe ## Carrie's modern characters Carrie White goes to school after her father's death, with new supporting characters. > Carrie White (Summer H. Howell) goes to public school for the first time after her conspiracy theorist father dies ## Chris Hargensen's character Chris Hargensen is a complex character with relatable motivations and struggles. > Sue Snell says, 'We were kids. We were kids. We were kids trying to do our best' ## Stephen King's involvement Stephen King is a producer on the show and has been involved in creative decisions. > Stephen King is a producer on the show ## Margaret White's character Margaret White has a complex relationship with her daughter that explores love and fear. > She loves her daughter so much. Her daughter's the only reason she lives in this ## Tommy Ross's character Tommy Ross shows genuine concern for Carrie White early in the series. > Tommy Ross is the first character on the whole show who's like, 'That's rough. Is she okay?' ## Flanagan's relationship with King Flanagan and King are friends with mutual trust in creative decisions. > We spent the night in Maine at his place last night after a really terrific dinner with him and his wife ## Carrie's three-season arc Flanagan plans a three-season arc but focuses on the first season's story. > All I have in mind right now are speculative wishes ## Flanagan's experience Flanagan gained experience through previous adaptations to create this version. > I think I figured it out. I think I know the process that I need to do here ## Cast's reaction to original Cast members were shocked by differences from the original Carrie movie. > Summer looked over at me and was like … I know, we did different. We did different ## Flanagan's view on kindness Flanagan emphasizes the importance of understanding rather than revenge. > I think that's such a dangerous thing to put out there in the world ## What happens next Flanagan focuses on exploring Carrie White's journey in the first season. > We only got to see the tip of the iceberg of her place in this legacy of other gifted women ## Key takeaway Mike Flanagan remakes Carrie to explore modern bullying and kindness through a new lens.