The pressure is on for the upcoming Mike Flanagan Stephen King adaptation,Carrie, following the success of the latest Stephen King adaptation.Mike Flanagan’s best TV showsinclude titles likeMidnight MassandThe Haunting of Hill House, but the writer/director has also worked on multiple Stephen King adaptations, includingGerald’s GameandDoctor Sleep. His latest film, which is now playing in theaters, is an adaptation of Stephen King’sThe Life of Chuck.
Stephen King adaptations aren’t challenging to come by, with several releasing practically every year.Stephen King’s numerous booksand works of short fiction have been the source material for some outstanding films and TV shows.Mike Flanagan has become something of a King aficionado in Hollywood, with three film adaptations under his belt, andTV adaptations ofCarrieand King’s long-running sci-fi/fantasy series,The Dark Tower, in development.
Carrie Has More Pressure To Continue Mike Flanagan’s Stephen King Adaptation Rotten Tomatoes Streak After The Life Of Chuck
The Life Of Chuck Has An 82% On Rotten Tomatoes
Over a week after its release,Mike Flanagan’sThe Life of Chuckhas some of the best RT scores for a Stephen King film adaptation in years. This is a major feat for Flanagan, as making a Stephen King film adaptation puts the title against all-time classics likeThe Shawshank Redemption,The Green Mile, andThe Shining. This filmaligns with the success of his previous King adaptations,Gerald’s GameandDoctor Sleep, but it also adds more pressure for his upcomingCarrieremake.
With a successful film adaptation of the 1974 Stephen King novel already made by Brian De Palma in 1976, theCarrieTV show needs to be critically acclaimed.Stephen King adaptationsrange from terrible to prolific, but the stakes are even higher when the source material in question has already been developed into a beloved classic.Carrieis arguably Mike Flanagan’s most famous King adaptation yet, as this was the debut novel for the legendary horror author. This makes it the most crucial for him to get right.
Carrie Already Has An Acclaimed Mike Flanagan TV Legacy To Follow
Mike Flanagan’s TV Shows Have All Been Critically Acclaimed
Mike Flanagan’s five TV shows thus far, all of which were released on Netflix, have positive Rotten Tomatoes critic scores. Currently, 2022’sThe Midnight Clubis his lowest-rated series by critics, with an impressive 85% score.The Haunting of Hill Housestill remains his most celebrated, with a 93% critic score and an equally impressive 91% from audiences. The new adaptation ofCarrienot only has to live up to prior Stephen King adaptations, but also Mike Flanagan’s rapidly growing and impressive filmography.
TheCarrieTV series, set to star Summer H. Howell as the titular character, as well as Mike Flanagan regulars Kate Siegel, Rahul Kohli, and Matthew Lillard, will be Flanagan’s first production for Amazon Prime Video, with whom he signed a contract in December 2022.Flanagan is also working on hisadaptation ofThe Dark Towerfor Prime, as well as a reboot ofThe ExorcistandClayface, all of which will have similarly steep expectations from fans of their respective IPs.
Carrie’s Critical Acclaim Pressure Doesn’t Stop At Mike Flanagan’s Filmography Expectations
The 1976 Movie Adaptation Left Big Shoes To Fill
As mentioned, this won’t be the first adaptation ofCarrie. In the 51 years since the book hit shelves, it’s been adapted four times.The first, which was directed by Brian De Palma and stars Sissy Spacek and John Travolta, maintains a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, and is regarded as one of the strongest Stephen King adaptations. The following adaptations are significantly less-revered, which adds to the pressure in its own way.
When a movie franchise continues to progress, but nothing ever lives up to the original, be itJurassic Park,Halloween,orJaws, audiences start to lose faith when a new title is announced.WithCarrie, there’s 1999’sThe Rage: Carrie 2(23% on RT), the 2002Carrieremake (20% on RT), and the 2013Carrieremake (51%). Even when Mike Flanagan, a maestro of both Stephen King adaptations and horror TV series, does aCarrieadaptation, eyes are going to roll. The pressure is on for the series to live up to the novel, or at least the original film.
