Carrie (franchise)

Carrie (1976)

Directed by Brian De Palma from a screenplay written by Lawrence D. Cohen, the film stars Sissy Spacek as Carrie White, a shy teenage girl who is constantly mocked and bullied at her school. She later develops the power of telekinesis and uses it to wreak vengeance on her tormentors. The film also features Piper Laurie, Amy Irving, Nancy Allen, William Katt, P. J. Soles, Betty Buckley, and John Travolta in supporting roles.

The Rage: Carrie 2 (1999)

A sequel to the 1976 film directed Katt Shea from a screenplay written by Rafael Moreu, the film stars Emily Bergl as Rachel Lang, the younger half-sister of Carrie White, also suffering with telekinesis, who finds that her best friend Lisa Parker's suicide was spurred by a group of popular male classmates who exploited her for sexual gain.

Carrie (2013)

A remake of the 1976 film while including some elements from Stephen King's 1974 novel that where not included in the first adaptation. Directed by Kimberly Peirce from a screenplay by Lawrence D. Cohen and Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, it stars Chloë Grace Moretz as the titular character.

Carrie (2002)

Written by Bryan Fuller, and directed by David Carson, the film stars Angela Bettis in the leading role. In the story, Carrie White, a shy girl who is harassed by her schoolmates, disappears and a series of flashbacks reveal what has happened to her.

Carrie (2026)

In December 2019, Collider reported that a miniseries adaptation was in development at FX with MGM Television producing. This version was rumored to be feature a Carrie played by either a trans performer or an actress of color.^[4] However, this version of the project was never ordered by FX.

In October 2024, Amazon MGM Studios announced that they were developing a miniseries adaptation of the novel with American filmmaker Mike Flanagan for Amazon Prime Video.^[5][6] Flanagan had previously written and directed multiples Stephen King's adaptations including Gerald's Game (2017), Doctor Sleep (2019) , and The Life of Chuck (2024). Summer H. Howell stars as Carrie White, while Siena Agudong plays Sue Snell.^[7] The rest of the cast include Samantha Sloyan as Margaret White, Alison Thornton as Chris Hargensen, Amber Midthunder as Rita Desjardin, Josie Totah as Tina, Arthur Conti as Billy, and Joel Oulette as Tommy.^[8] Stephen King also executive produces the series.^[2]

Atlhough the serialized miniseries includes differences to the original novel, Flanagan confirmed that core events from the original story like familiar characters will still be mantained. The series include characters from the novel who did not appear in previous adaptations, like Principal Grayle or Ralph White, as well as new characters written for the miniseries. To expend the story, Flanagan built out from the book's mythology, using the panicked 911 calls, police reports, newspapers articles, courtroom testimonies and scientific investigations, that where ignored by most of the previous adaptations.^[9] The series is expected to premiere on October 7, 2026 on Amazon Prime Video.^[3]

Box office performance

Critical and public response

Stage adaptation

In 1986, a stage adaptation of the novel was announced. Co-produced with the Royal Shakespeare Company, with direction by Terry Hands and choreography by Debbie Allen, the original production completed pre-Broadway tryouts in the United Kingdom at Stratford-upon-Avon's Royal Shakespeare Theatre in February and March 1988 and premiered on Broadway at the Virginia Theatre in April 1988 of that year. Its original stars included Linzi Hateley as the title character, Sally Ann Triplett as Sue Snell, Charlotte d'Amboise as Chris Hargensen, Gene Anthony Ray as Billy Nolan, and Darlene Love as Miss Lynn Gardner. Barbara Cook played Margaret during the tryouts, but was replaced by Betty Buckley, who played Miss Collins in the 1976 film, for the Broadway run following Cook's resignation after a technical accident.^[21]

The show received mostly negative reviews and closed after 16 previews and five regular performances in Broadway. It is considered one of the most notable and expensive failures in Broadway theatre history. Its reputation, the story behind its difficult production, and its limited run created a passionate response from fans, with the show gaining a cult following.^[22] It inspired a book by Ken Mandelbaum which chronicled the history of flop Broadway musicals, and a 2021 podcast, Out for Blood, which documented its creation and development.

An Off-Broadway revival premiered in 2012 at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, with the book and score almost entirely revised. The revival received better reviews than the original production. It became the official version of the show, and opened the rights for licensing the following year.^[23]

Unofficial stage adaptations

The franchise inspired two unofficial stage shows. The first one, Scarrie! The Musical, premiered in 1998 in Illinois and is a parody of both the 1976 film, and the Broadway show.^[26] The second, Carrie 2: The Rage (An Unauthorized Musical Parody), premiered in 2017 in Chicago and is a parody of the 1999 sequel.^[27]