Director Mike Flanagan is set to adapt Stephen King's Carrie as a miniseries and The Dark Tower as a multi-year series, both facing unique challenges as remakes. While Carrie's story has been told multiple times, The Dark Tower's vast world demands a long-form approach after a failed film attempt. Flanagan's track record with King adaptations offers hope despite the hurdles.
Stephen King adaptations continue to proliferate, with remakes of classic stories finding new life on television. Among the latest are two projects directed by Mike Flanagan: a miniseries based on Carrie and a multi-season series adapting The Dark Tower.
Carrie, King's first published novel, debuted as a film in 1976 under Brian De Palma, featuring standout performances by Piper Laurie and Sissy Spacek. That version captured the book's tone masterfully and remains a benchmark. Subsequent efforts, including a 2002 made-for-TV movie intended as a series pilot and a 2013 theatrical release with Chloë Grace Moretz and Julianne Moore, fell short by comparison. The story has also appeared in a 1988 musical, a 2012 off-Broadway revival, and a 2018 episode of Riverdale. Its familiarity poses a significant challenge for Flanagan's take, which he plans to modernize by incorporating elements like social media, school metal detectors, and ongoing gun violence in the United States.
In contrast, The Dark Tower saga represents King's most intricate universe, developed over 22 years with an additional interquel, The Wind Through the Keyhole, extending the timeline to 30 years. A 2017 film adaptation struggled at the box office and critically, though its limited audience may spare the series from heavy baggage. An earlier Amazon series attempt launched in 2018 but was abandoned by 2020. Flanagan, known for extended narratives in Netflix series like The Haunting of Hill House, Midnight Mass, and The Fall of the House of Usher, is well-suited to this material. He has expressed satisfaction with the scripts so far, suggesting potential for a successful four-quadrant appeal.
Both projects highlight Flanagan's expertise in King's works, yet they must overcome their respective obstacles: oversaturation for Carrie and complexity for The Dark Tower.