According to star Matthew Lillard, the upcoming Carrie TV series, brought to us by the talented Mike Flanagan, is shaping up to be one of the most faithful adaptations of Stephen King's work yet. Lillard, who plays Principal Grayle—one of the few adults in King's novel who shows empathy towards Carrie White—revealed fresh details about the project, praised its cast, and hinted at why fans will find the long wait worth it.
Lillard shared with GamesRadar+ that Flanagan's approach to Carrie is meticulous and deeply respectful of the source material. "Carrie's brilliant. Mike Flanagan—who I worked with on Life of Chuck—he is simply a force of nature in this industry," Lillard exclaimed. He explained that Flanagan spent three weeks rehearsing with the cast and even created an app to track the team's progress during every stage of production. "He's so prolific and profound, and such a great storyteller," Lillard said.
Lillard emphasized that the show features three "tiers" of characters: teachers, parents, and students. "It's a pure adaptation of the book [more] than the original movie was," he added, noting that Brian De Palma's 1976 original film focused on just one aspect of the story, while the TV show brings in plotlines that were previously overlooked. Lillard praised the cast, saying, "The kids...the kids are freaking brilliant," and quipped about how impressed he was watching them perform.
Flanagan's Carrie will span eight episodes, allowing the 304-page novel to be explored in its entirety rather than condensed into a single feature. The series, which will be released in 2026, is part of Flanagan's new deal with Prime Video. It's clear that fans can expect a deeply respectful and nuanced adaptation that will captivate them from start to finish.
