Now, he’s also going to be tackling a fresh adaptation of ‘The Mist.’
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Deadline brings word that Warner Bros. has made a deal for Flanagan to write and direct a new take on King’s 1980 novella, which originally appeared in the collection ‘Skeleton Crew.’
(L to R): Marcia Gay Harden, William Sadler, Toby Jones and Jeffrey DeMunn in ‘The Mist’ (2007). Photo: Dimension Films.
King’s story concerns what happens when a small town in Maine is consumed by a thick mysterious fog from which creatures emerge to attack the townsfolk.
A group of survivors hole up in a local grocery store. As often happens with King’s fiction, anarchy and societal reordering brings out the best in some, and the absolute worst in others, sparking mob mentality and empowering unhinged extremists who become as dangerous as the horrors outside.
Spoiler alert: things get dark. Very dark.
When will ‘The Mist’ be on screens?
There is no date for the new version as of yet, but if you want to check it out in movie form, Frank Darabont brought a film of the story to screens back in 2007.
Thomas Jane in ‘The Mist’ (2007). Photo: Dimension Films.
(L to R) Joshua Odjick as Parker, Jordan Gonzalez as Harkness, David Jonsson as McVries, Cooper Hoffman as Garraty, and Charlie Plummer as Barkovitch in ‘The Long Walk’. Photo Credit: Murray Close/Lionsgate.
The latest adaptation of one of King’s novels, ‘The Long Walk‘, which he wrote when he was only 19 and was directed by Francis Lawrence, is scheduled for release in theaters on September 12th.
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In honor of the new film, and August 19th being “King Day”, Moviefone is counting down the 19 best Stephen King movie adaptations of all time!
Idris Elba in ‘The Dark Tower’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
A boy (Tom Taylor) haunted by visions of a parallel world aids its disillusioned guardian in preventing the destruction of the nexus of universes known as the Dark Tower.
Four boyhood pals (Thomas Jane, Damian Lewis, Timothy Olyphant and Jason Lee) perform a heroic act and are changed by the powers they gain in return. Years later, on a hunting trip in the Maine woods, they’re overtaken by a vicious blizzard that harbors an ominous presence. Challenged to stop an alien force, the friends must first prevent the slaughter of innocent civilians by a military vigilante (Morgan Freeman)… and then overcome a threat to the bond that unites the four of them.
Author Ben Mears (Lewis Pullman) returns to his childhood home of Jerusalem’s Lot only to discover his hometown is being preyed upon by a bloodthirsty vampire.
27 years after overcoming the malevolent supernatural entity Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård), the former members of the Losers’ Club, who have grown up and moved away from Derry, are brought back together by a devastating phone call.
Ewan McGregor in ‘Doctor Sleep’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
Still scarred by the trauma he endured as a child at the Overlook Hotel, Dan Torrance (Ewan McGregor) faces the ghosts of the past when he meets Abra (Kyleigh Curran), a courageous teen who desperately needs his help — and who possesses a powerful extrasensory ability called the “shine”.
One day in 1984, Todd Bowden (Brad Renfro), a brilliant high school boy fascinated by the history of Nazism, stumbles across an old man whose appearance resembles that of Kurt Dussander (Ian McKellen), a wanted Nazi war criminal. A month later, Todd decides to knock on his door.
Charlene “Charlie” McGee (Drew Barrymore) has the amazing ability to start fires with just a glance. Can her psychic power and the love of her father (David Keith) save her from the threatening government agency which wants to destroy her?
(L to R) Annalise Basso and Tom Hiddleston in ‘The Life of Chuck’. Photo: Neon.
In this extraordinary story of an ordinary man, Charles ‘Chuck’ Krantz (Tom Hiddleston) experiences the wonder of love, the heartbreak of loss, and the multitudes contained in all of us.
When twin brothers (Both played by Theo James) find a mysterious wind-up monkey, a series of outrageous deaths tear their family apart. Twenty-five years later, the monkey begins a new killing spree forcing the estranged brothers to confront the cursed toy.
In a small town in Maine, seven children known as The Losers Club come face to face with life problems, bullies and a monster that takes the shape of a clown called Pennywise.
Withdrawn and sensitive teen Carrie White (Sissy Spacek) faces taunting from classmates at school and abuse from her fanatically pious mother (Piper Laurie). When strange occurrences start happening around Carrie, she begins to suspect that she has supernatural powers.
After an accident, acclaimed novelist Paul Sheldon (James Caan) is rescued by a nurse (Kathy Bates) who claims to be his biggest fan. Her obsession takes a dark turn when she holds him captive in her remote Colorado home and forces him to write back to life the popular literary character he killed off.
Arnold Schwarzenegger as Captain Benjamin “Ben” Richards in ‘The Running Man.’ Photo: Tri-Star Pictures.
By 2017, the global economy has collapsed and U.S. society has become a totalitarian police state, censoring all cultural activity. The government pacifies the populace by broadcasting a number of game shows in which convicted criminals fight for their lives, including the gladiator-style ‘The Running Man’, hosted by the ruthless Damon Killian (Richard Dawson), where “runners” attempt to evade “stalkers” and certain death for a chance to be pardoned and set free.
A supernatural tale set on death row in a Southern prison, where gentle giant John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan) possesses the mysterious power to heal people’s ailments. When the cell block’s head guard, Paul Edgecomb (Tom Hanks), recognizes Coffey’s miraculous gift, he tries desperately to help stave off the condemned man’s execution.
After learning that a boy their age has been accidentally killed near their rural homes, four Oregon boys decide to go see the body. On the way, Gordie (Wil Wheaton), Vern (Jerry O’Connell), Chris (River Phenix) and Teddy (Corey Feldman) encounter a mean junk man and a marsh full of leeches, as they also learn more about one another and their very different home lives. Just a lark at first, the boys’ adventure evolves into a defining event in their lives.
Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) accepts a caretaker job at the Overlook Hotel, where he, along with his wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall) and their son Danny (Danny Lloyd), must live isolated from the rest of the world for the winter. But they aren’t prepared for the madness that lurks within.
(L to R) Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman in ‘The Shawshank Redemption’. Photo: Columbia Pictures.
Imprisoned in the 1940s for the double murder of his wife and her lover, upstanding banker Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) begins a new life at the Shawshank prison, where he puts his accounting skills to work for an amoral warden. During his long stretch in prison, Dufresne comes to be admired by the other inmates — including an older prisoner named Red (Morgan Freeman) — for his integrity and unquenchable sense of hope.
But back in 2022, Amazon tempted Flanagan and producing partner Trevor Macy’s company Intrepid Pictures away with a lucrative, exclusive, multi-year overall series deal.
This is what the duo said at the time:
“Amazon is a studio that we have long admired. Their commitment to engaging in groundbreaking series and content aligns with the ethos of what we have built at Intrepid. We are looking forward to working with the entire Amazon team as we bring our brand of genre productions to the service and audiences around the globe.”
And since the deal took shape, the pair has been quietly developing several projects, with the first now officially emerging, after being announced as in the works in October.
Amazon has officially ordered a series based on Stephen King’s novel ‘Carrie,’ which has previously been brought to screens a few times.
There was also a 2002 TV movie version handled by David Carson, with Angela Bettis in the lead. Oh, and 1999 saw an attempt to craft a sequel, with ‘The Rage: Carrie 2,’ which didn’t feature the character, but continued the story after her death.
Given his history, we have faith in Flanagan coming up with something much more successful than the more recent efforts. Ready the blood bucket!
What’s the story of the ‘Carrie’ TV series?
(L to R) Sissy Spacek and Betty Buckley in ‘Carrie’. Photo: United Artists.
‘Carrie’ is Stephen King’s 1974 debut novel. Set in the town of Chamberlain, Maine, the plot follows Carrie White, a friendless high school girl from an abusive religious household who discovers she has telekinetic powers.
According to the official spiel, the show is described as, “bold and timely reimagining of the story of misfit high-schooler Carrie, who has spent her life in seclusion with her domineering mother. After her father’s sudden and untimely death, Carrie finds herself contending with the alien landscape of public High School, a bullying scandal that shatters her community, and the emergence of mysterious powers.”
Who will star in the ‘Carrie’ TV series?
Summer H. Howell in ‘Hunter Hunter’. Photo: IFC Midnight.
According to Variety, Summer H. Howell is nearing a deal to star in Flanagan’s series as Carrie.
On the lighter side of things, she starred in the Disney+ film ‘Clouds,’ which was based on the acclaimed memoir ‘Fly a Little Higher: How God Answered a Mom’s Small Prayer in a Big Way’ by Laura Sobiech.
Siena Agudong in ‘Upside-Down Magic’. Photo: Disney Channel.
In the novel and subsequent film adaptation, Sue initially joins in bullying Carrie but later decides to try to befriend her. Amy Irving played the character in the original film and ‘The Rage: Carrie 2,’ with Kandyse McClure and Gabriella Wilde playing her in subsequent ‘Carrie’ movies.
Agudong most recently starred in the Tubi movie ‘The QB and Me,’ which she also executive produced. She was also the female lead in Kevin Smith’s coming-of-age film ‘The 4:30 Movie.’
‘Carrie’ TV series: The Executives Speak
Sissy Spacek in ‘Carrie’. Photo: United Artists.
With the show now officially announced, team Amazon is naturally happy to talk about it.
Here’s Vernon Sanders, head of television for Amazon MGM Studios:
“ ‘Carrie’ is an iconic story that has withstood the test of time with continued cultural relevance. With Mike Flanagan at the helm and the accomplished team assembled including executive producer Trevor Macy this provocative series is sure to captivate our global customers.”
‘The Life of Chuck’ will be on screens on June 6th.
He’s also in pre-production on a new movie based on classic horror ‘The Exorcist,’ having taken over shepherding that particular franchise for Universal from David Gordon Green.
And beyond that, he wrote the script for DC Studios and Warner Bros.’ ‘Clayface’ movie, which has ‘Speak No Evil’ filmmaker James Watkins in the director’s chair.
When will the ‘Carrie’ TV series be on screens?
Eight episodes of the show have been ordered and production is scheduled for this summer in Vancouver, but there is no official premiere date for ‘Carrie’ just yet.
Mike Flanagan has built himself quite the reputation for adapting the works of Stephen King to screens and making some great TV series in the horror/thriller realm. So it seems natural that for the first planned series under his recent deal with Amazon, would combine the two.
King’s 1974 novel put the young author on the map, and also bolstered his worth as a writer whose genre storytelling was most translatable to the big screen.
In 1976, Brian De Palma was the first director to adapt King’s coming of age story of a young, sheltered girl (Sissy Spacek) with a domineering mother whose bullying caused unimaginable blood-soaked consequences at her school’s prom due to her hyperkinetic powers.
He currently has ‘The Life of Chuck,’ starring Tom Hiddleston and Mark Hamill, adapted from King’s 2020 novella, receiving praise at festival runs and is being set for a 2025 release.
John Travolta is a true triple threat of a performer, as he can act, sing, and dance!
Travolta first gained attention in the late ’70s as Vinnie Barbarino on the TV series ‘Welcome Back, Kotter,’ but quickly became a movie star after roles in ‘Carrie,’ ‘Saturday Night Fever,’ and ‘Grease.’
Rogue agent Gabriel Shear (Travolta) is determined to get his mitts on $9 billion stashed in a secret Drug Enforcement Administration account. He wants the cash to fight terrorism, but lacks the computer skills necessary to hack into the government mainframe. Enter Stanley Jobson (Hugh Jackman), a n’er-do-well encryption expert who can log into anything.
When undercover FBI agent Frank Castle’s (Thomas Jane) wife and son are slaughtered, he becomes ‘the Punisher’ — a ruthless vigilante willing to go to any length to avenge his family.
After moving to Pasadena, Texas, country boy Bud Davis (Travolta) starts hanging around a bar called Gilley’s, where he falls in love with Sissy (Debra Winger), a cowgirl who believes the sexes are equal. They eventually marry, but their relationship is turbulent due to Bud’s traditional view of gender roles. Jealousy over his rival leads to their separation, but Bud attempts to win Sissy back by triumphing at Gilley’s mechanical bull-riding competition.
The story of a group of men, an Army Rifle company called C-for-Charlie, who change, suffer, and ultimately make essential discoveries about themselves during the fierce World War II battle of Guadalcanal. It follows their journey, from the surprise of an unopposed landing, through the bloody and exhausting battles that follow, to the ultimate departure of those who survived.
Jack Terry (Travolta) is a master sound recordist who works on grade-B horror movies. Late one evening, he is recording sounds for use in his movies when he hears something unexpected through his sound equipment and records it. Curiosity gets the better of him when the media become involved, and he begins to unravel the pieces of a nefarious conspiracy. As he struggles to survive against his shadowy enemies and expose the truth, he does not know whom he can trust.
Pleasantly plump teenager Tracy Turnblad (Nikki Blonsky) auditions to be on Baltimore’s most popular dance show – The Corny Collins Show – and lands a prime spot. Through her newfound fame, she becomes determined to help her friends and end the racial segregation that has been a staple of the show.
Mollie (Kirstie Alley) is a single working mother who’s out to find the perfect father for her child. Her baby, Mikey (Bruce Willis), prefers James (Travolta), a cab driver turned babysitter who has what it takes to make them both happy. But Mollie won’t even consider James. It’s going to take all the tricks a baby can think of to bring them together before it’s too late.
Armed men hijack a New York City subway train, holding the passengers hostage in return for a ransom, and turning an ordinary day’s work for dispatcher Walter Garber (Denzel Washington) into a face-off with the mastermind behind the crime.
Carrie White (Sissy Spacek), a shy and troubled teenage girl who is tormented by her high school peers and her fanatically religious mother, begins to use her powers of telekinesis to exact revenge upon them.
When rogue stealth-fighter pilot Vic Deakins (Travolta) deliberately drops off the radar while on maneuvers, the Air Force ends up with two stolen nuclear warheads — and Deakins’s co-pilot, Riley Hale (Christian Slater), is the military’s only hope for getting them back. Traversing the deserted canyons of Utah, Hale teams with park ranger Terry Carmichael to put Deakins back in his box.
A DEA agent (Travolta) investigates the disappearance of a legendary Army ranger drill sergeant (Samuel L. Jackson) and several of his cadets during a training exercise gone severely awry.
Jan Schlickmann (Travolta) is a cynical lawyer who goes out to ‘get rid of’ a case, only to find out it is potentially worth millions. The case becomes his obsession, to the extent that he is willing to give up everything—including his career and his clients’ goals—in order to continue the case against all odds.
In this adaptation of the best-selling roman à clef about Bill Clinton’s 1992 run for the White House, the young and gifted Henry Burton (Adrian Lester) is tapped to oversee the presidential campaign of Governor Jack Stanton (Travolta). Burton is pulled into the politician’s colorful world and looks on as Stanton — who has a wandering eye that could be his downfall — contends with his ambitious wife, Susan (Emma Thompson), and an outspoken adviser, Richard Jemmons (Billy Bob Thornton).
Chili Palmer (Travolta) is a Miami mobster who gets sent by his boss, the psychopathic “Bones” Barboni (Dennis Farina), to collect a bad debt from Harry Zimm (Gene Hackman), a Hollywood producer who specializes in cheesy horror films. When Chili meets Harry’s leading lady (Rene Russo), the romantic sparks fly. After pitching his own life story as a movie idea, Chili learns that being a mobster and being a Hollywood producer really aren’t all that different.
Australian good girl Sandy (Olivia Newton-John) and greaser Danny fell (John Travolta) in love over the summer. But when they unexpectedly discover they’re now in the same high school, will they be able to rekindle their romance despite their eccentric friends?
In order to foil a terrorist plot, an FBI agent (John Travolta) undergoes facial transplant surgery and assumes the identity of a criminal mastermind (Nicolas Cage), who murdered his only son. The plan turns sour when the criminal wakes up prematurely and seeks revenge.
Tony (Travolta) spends his Saturdays at a disco where his stylish moves raise his popularity among the patrons. But his life outside the disco is not easy and things change when he gets attracted to Stephanie (Karen Lynn Gorney).
A burger-loving hit man (Travolta), his philosophical partner (Samuel L. Jackson), a drug-addled gangster’s moll (Uma Thurman) and a washed-up boxer (Bruce Willis) converge in this sprawling, comedic crime caper. Their adventures unfurl in three stories that ingeniously trip back and forth in time.
Here are the best slasher pics that all fans of the horror movie genre should see.
25. ‘Disturbing Behavior’ (1998)
Dimension
Not a great film, but a decent premise, at least — it’s a high school version of “The Stepford Wives,” with delinquent teens turned into overachieving, fascist automatons. Katie Holmes and James Marsden are the well-scrubbed leads, but Nick Stahl steals the movie as the most tormented of the teens.
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24. ‘The Slumber Party Massacre’ (1982)
This chiller, about teen sleepover guests menaced by a power-drill-wielding serial killer, was written as a genre parody (by “Rubyfruit Jungle” novelist Rita Mae Brown, of all people), but it was shot as a straight horror film. It works on both levels, scary and tongue-in-cheek.
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23. ‘Urban Legend’ (1998)
Dimension
Here’s one about a copycat killer whose murders mimic famous urban legends. A cast that includes Jared Leto, Joshua Jackson, Alicia Witt, and Rebecca Gayheart give this premise more credibility than it merits.
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22. ‘My Bloody Valentine’ (1981)
Not just the name of a cool band, “My Bloody Valentine” was also perhaps the goriest of the early wave of holiday-themed slasher movies. Here, the target is a Valentine’s Day dance in a mining town beset by gruesome tragedy. The killer is armed with a miner’s pickaxe and has a fondness for cutting out people’s hearts and putting them in candy boxes. How festive.
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21. ‘Sleepaway Camp’ (1983)
You’d think “Friday the 13th” would have had this territory covered, but you’d be wrong. Typical exploitation fare, but for a gender-bending shocking-twist finale worthy of “Psycho.”
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20. ‘The Faculty’ (1998)
Dimension
Robert Rodriguez’s tongue-in-cheek teen horror movie, written by “Scream” scribe Kevin Williamson, probably deserves a better reputation than it’s earned over the years. The tale of a high school whose students believe their teachers have been taken over by alien parasites is not that original, but it’s well-executed — thanks to Rodriguez’s inventive direction and a cast of future all-stars that includes Elijah Wood, Jordana Brewster, Josh Hartnett, and Jon Stewart.
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19. ‘I Was a Teenage Werewolf’ (1957)
Today, it’s considered camp, but back then, the idea of a teenage monster was actually considered shocking. This movie launched a series of similar exploitation films in which puberty, adolescence, and delinquency are conflated with monstrous metamorphoses. It was a huge hit, and it made a star out of Michael Landon in the lead role.
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18. ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ (1992)
Yeah, this horror-comedy lacks the dark brilliance of the TV adaptation that followed, but the original movie, for all its “Valley Girl”-with-vampires silliness, is actually not that bad. That climactic prom night vampire attack certainly hints at where Joss Whedon would go with the series.
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17. ‘Last House on the Left’ (1972)
This early Wes Craven film is adapted from no less arty a source than Ingmar Bergman’s “The Virgin Spring.” Two teenage girls are tortured, raped, and murdered by a Manson-like gang, but their parents capture the killers and wreak bloody vengeance. Craven later remade the movie when he could command a real budget, but the original, in all its cheap, exploitative glory, is the one to watch.
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16. ‘Prom Night’ (1980)
Sony
Long before “I Know What You Did Last Summer” came this cult-fave entry in the group-secretly-responsible-for-manslaughter-stalked-by-vengeful-killer genre. Jamie Lee Curtis cemented her early scream-queen reputation as the dead girl’s sister, whose prom night is ruined by the relentless slasher.
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15. ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’ (1997)
The kids-stalked-by-hook-handed-killer plot is no more original than the urban legend that spawned it. Still, as with other Kevin Williamson horror movies, this one benefits a lot from the casting, which includes Jennifer Love Hewitt (in her first ghoulish role), “Scream” alumna Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddie Prinze, Jr., and Ryan Phillippe.
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14. ‘The Blob’ (1958)
Fox
Steve McQueen’s first feature film lead came as the teen hero in this tale of a small town whose populace is rapidly being consumed by a mass of alien Jell-O. The film’s clever centerpiece involved the blob attacking an theater full of teens watching a horror movie. (Meta!) The 1988 remake with Kevin Dillon and Shawnee Smith isn’t bad, either.
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13. ‘The Craft’ (1996)
Sony
A coven of teen witches uses magic to obtain the usual teen-girl wants: boyfriends, clear skin, etc. Of course, they go too far (especially freaky Fairuza Balk), and a cosmic comeuppance is in order. Known more for its style than its scares, this one was still frightfully influential.
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12. ‘Fright Night’ (1985)
This fondly-remembered horror comedy about a teenage boy who discovers that his suave neighbor, played by Chris Sarandon (“The Princess Bride”), is a vampire but can’t convince anyone except for a cheeseball TV horror-movie host (Roddy McDowall). Pick this over the Colin Farrell remake.
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11. ‘Final Destination’ (2000)
New Line
A nightmare vision keeps a group of teens from boarding what turns out to be a doomed plane, but Death will not be cheated. It soon picks off the survivors one by one, by staging a series of elaborate, lethal accidents. As the franchise continued, the killings became increasingly complex — and far-fetched. Still, there’s much to be said for a horror villain that can’t be defeated, only put off for a while.
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10. ‘Ginger Snaps’ (2000)
Motion International
This Canadian cult-classic launched a franchise and brought something fresh to the werewolf genre. Here, the afflicted heroine’s monstrous changes are linked to her beginning menstruation and burgeoning sexuality. The result is both scary and a smart critique of the horrors of puberty for girls in our society.
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9. ‘The Lost Boys’ (1987)
WB
This horror comedy earned a lot of derision for giving us the Coreys (Haim and Feldman), but it works on many levels — gothic teen romance (between bitten Jason Patric and Jami Gertz), teen peer pressure cautionary tale (if a gang of teen vampires tries to recruit you, just say no — especially if creepy Kiefer Sutherland is the gang leader) — comic-book parody, and seedy frightfest.
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8. ‘Friday the 13th’ (1980)
You never forget your first visit to Camp Crystal Lake, especially if you’re a promiscuous teen. Before Jason became an unstoppable, hockey-masked killer in the later entries, it was his mom who did the slashing, back when the premise was still fresh.
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7. ‘It Follows’ (2014)
RADiUS
This bare-bones teen horror thriller centers on a young teen and her friends plagued by some sort of curse (its origins and specifics are intentionally, terrifyingly, vague) that spreads like an STD. That aspect makes the film even more relevant and clever as it slow-burns toward one hell of an unsettling climax.
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6. ‘IT’ (2017)
WB/New Line
Stephen King scored his most successful (commercially) adaptation with this record-breaking hit, that pit the teens of Derry against the murder-fueled clown Pennywise. The rest is box office history.
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5. ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’ (1984)
If other slasher films implicitly punished teens for bad behavior, this one went after them merely for thinking bad thoughts. Not even your subconscious is safe from Freddy Krueger. Yeah, this franchise-launcher has a lot of lame imitators to answer for. On the other hand, it also gave us Johnny Depp. So there’s that.
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4. ‘The Cabin in the Woods’ (2011)
Joss Whedon co-wrote with director Drew Goddard one of the best modern horror films, full of meta references to many movies on this list. In doing so, they successfully pay homage to — and subvert — the genre. Ever wonder why so many teens meet stab-happy deaths at the titular location? “Cabin” answers that question with an intricate (and terrifying) “upstairs, downstairs” mythology that involves zombie pain worshipers, werewolves and, of course, a mer-man.
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3. ‘Carrie’ (1976)
MGM
The first Stephen King novel to be translated to the screen, “Carrie” remains a well-executed film of bullying and horrific revenge. It’s a cautionary tale about religious extremism, an allegory about the terrors of puberty and female adolescence, a hear-wrenching showcase for Sissy Spacek in the title role, a source of iconic moments (Worst. Prom. Ever.), and a brutally effective Brian De Palma scare machine, right down to that shocking final shot.
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2. ‘Halloween’ (1978)
Universal
John Carpenter’s classic pretty much wrote the rules for teen slasher films as we know them. Michael Myers is, of course, one of the scariest horror villains ever, and Jamie Lee Curtis is one of the great scream-queens of all time. The rest of the franchise may have come to seem rote, but the original is still plenty terrifying.
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1. ‘Scream’ (1996)
Dimension
Before the franchise descended into (deliberate?) self-parody, Wes Craven‘s slasher saga managed to spoof a tired genre while revitalizing it for a new generation. It works as both a parody and a damn scary movie on its own terms.
It seems like every show on The CW is getting an actual musical), and next up on the docket is buzzy teen drama “Riverdale.” The sophomore show is set to tackle tunes from the real-life Broadway flop “Carrie” (yes, based on the film version of Stephen King’s horror novel), and now, fans have their first look at that oddly perfect mashup.
In anticipation for the episode’s debut this week, the network released video of two full musical numbers from the show, featuring the songs “In” and “A Night We’ll Never Forget.” The first one opens the episode, and like the rest of the numbers that are featured in the installment, is woven into the plot of the episode itself, featuring the show’s characters getting ready for the day, and then rehearsing “Carrie: The Musical.”
The second clip features the cast backstage on opening night, fixing their hair and makeup and getting into costume. The lyrics just happen to match up with the anticipation of putting on a show (funny how that works out so well), before the ensemble takes the stage to perform the number for the crowd.
If you weren’t excited about this episode before, we have a feeling these two numbers will change your mind. (Unless you’re not a fan of musicals. Then we can’t really help you.)
The special “Carrie: The Musical” episode of “Riverdale” makes its grand debut on The CW on Wednesday, April 18 at 8 p.m.
Four decades later, we’re still creeped out by “Carrie,” still the ultimate high school horror movie. Released 40 years ago this week (on November 3, 1976), “Carrie” not only made a star of Sissy Spacek and introduced movie audiences to Stephen King, but it also marked the big-screen debuts of Amy Irving, P.J. Soles, and Betty Buckley, as well as giving early film-career boosts to William Katt and John Travolta.
Still, as many times as you’ve watched Spacek wreak telekinetic vengeance over her bloody prom-night humiliation, there’s a lot you may not know about “Carrie.” Celebrate the 40th anniversary with these need-to-know facts.
1. “Carrie” was both Stephen King’s first novel and his first to become a movie. Back then, he was still obscure enough that the makers of the film’s trailer misspelled his first name as “Steven.” See below: 2. Directors Brian De Palma and George Lucas staged open auditions together for both “Carrie” and the original “Star Wars.” Both sought Amy Irving for their female lead, and William Katt almost ended up starring in Lucas’ movie instead of De Palma’s.
3. Eventually, of course, Lucas cast Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia (after De Palma had picked Sissy Spacek over Fisher for Carrie) and Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, while Irving and Katt wound up in supporting roles in De Palma’s film. Even so, Irving and Fisher ended up becoming close friends. 4. Irving and Katt (above) had dated a year before making “Carrie.” Their screen test included a makeout scene in the back of a car, a scene that didn’t end up in the movie.
5. Spacek was already 26 when she was cast as a teen having her first period. (Her husband, Jack Fisk, was the film’s production designer.) In fact, all of the principal stars were well past their teen years. 6. For Carrie’s religious-fanatic mother, De Palma considered Louise Fletcher, then fresh off her scary, Oscar-winning performance as Nurse Ratched in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.”
7. Eventually, however, he sought out Piper Laurie (above), even though she hadn’t made a film in 15 years, since her Oscar-nominated turn in “The Hustler.” She had all but retired from acting to raise a family and was reluctant to return in what could have been a two-dimensional role. But De Palma convinced her that she could bring some dark humor and even sex appeal to the character beyond what was scripted. 8. The prom sequence was shot on an MGM soundstage that had been the site of another celebrated fire scene, the burning of Atlanta in “Gone With the Wind.”
9. To keep the red stains on her prom dress and all over her body consistent throughout the three days it took to shoot the prom sequence, Spacek slept in the bloody gown. Yeah, it wasn’t really pig blood, just corn syrup and food coloring. Still, De Palma said that it made Spacek smell like gummy candy that had been sitting on a radiator. 10. During the prom shoot, Soles got hit so hard with the water jet from the fire hose that she burst an eardrum. She didn’t regained her full hearing for six months.
11.Nancy Allen, who played mean-girl Chris, started dating De Palma during the shoot. They were soon married and made three more movies together. 12. During the “Carrie” shoot, De Palma also fixed up Steven Spielberg with future wife Irving (above). Soles has said De Palma invited his filmmaker pal to the set because of all the attractive actresses, and that the “Jaws” director asked several of them out, including her, but that Irving was the only one who didn’t turn him down.
13. Irving recalled the matchmaking a little differently. She said De Palma fixed them up by sending her to read for Spielberg’s “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” for a part she was obviously not old enough to play. Either way, Irving and Spielberg were soon living together, though they didn’t get married until 1985. They had one child before they divorced in 1989. 14. At the end of the movie, Carrie and Margaret’s house was supposed to be destroyed by a rain of boulders, but the conveyor belt moving the pebbles toward the tiny model house jammed. So De Palma just burned the little house down.
15. The notorious dream sequence at the end was shot in reverse (with Irving walking backwards and cars driving in reverse), then played forward. De Palma borrowed the hand-thrusting-from-the-grave shot at the end from the climax of “‘Deliverance.” De Palma wanted to use a stunt woman, but Spacek insisted on doing the shot herself. 16. Fisk buried her (because De Palma was too squeamish to do it himself) in a pit under a board covered with pumice stones. There, she received a signal to reach out and grab Irving’s arm. The rocks scratched up Spacek’s arm, but she felt the result was worth it.
17. Studio executives watching an early test screening were appropriately terrified by that last shot; they hadn’t known it was coming, since De Palma had purposely left it out of the script.18. Since it was not taken from King’s book, that final moment startled King, too, when he first watched “Carrie.” “Man, I thought I was going to sh** in my pants,” he recalled of the scene years later.
19. King’s first time seeing “Carrie” was during a sneak preview on Halloween night in 1976, three days before it opened. As he has recalled a number of times, he and his wife Tabitha attended the screening in Boston, where the sneak was the second half of an unlikely double feature with the Redd Foxx comedy “Norman… Is That You?“ 20. The Kings were the only two white people in the theater, and the author worried that an African-American audience that had come to watch the “Sanford & Son” star’s sex farce wouldn’t be receptive to his high-school horror story. “They’re not gonna have any sympathy at all for this little white girl and her menstrual problems,” he remembered thinking. But the audience got into “Carrie.” When he saw two large men seated near him jump out of their seats and clutch each other during the final scene, he knew “Carrie” would be a hit.
21. Indeed, “Carrie,” which cost $1.8 million to make, earned $33.8 million at the box office, making it a smash by 1976 standards.
22. “Carrie” earned Spacek an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress and a Best Supporting Actress nod for Laurie, making them two of only a very few performers who’ve ever been nominated for their roles in a horror movie. 23. The film has spawned numerous follow-ups, including a sequel, a notorious flop Broadway musical, and the 2013 remake with Chloë Grace Moretz. All of which King thought were superfluous. Why bother, he wondered in 2011, “when the original was so good? I mean, not ‘Casablanca,’ or anything, but a really good horror-suspense film, much better than the book.”
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Today, it’s considered camp, but back then, the idea of a teenage monster was actually considered shocking. This movie launched a series of similar exploitation films in which puberty, adolescence, and delinquency are conflated with monstrous metamorphoses. It was a huge hit, and it made a star out of Michael Landon in the lead role.
It seems like every show on The CW is getting an actual musical), and next up on the docket is buzzy teen drama “Riverdale.” The sophomore show is set to tackle tunes from the real-life Broadway flop “Carrie” (yes, based on the film version of Stephen King’s horror novel), and now, fans have their first look at that oddly perfect mashup.
Worst. Prom. Ever.
4. Irving and Katt (above) had dated a year before making “Carrie.” Their screen test included a makeout scene in the back of a car, a scene that didn’t end up in the movie.
6. For Carrie’s religious-fanatic mother, De Palma considered 
8. The prom sequence was shot on an MGM soundstage that had been the site of another celebrated fire scene, the burning of Atlanta in “
10. During the prom shoot, Soles got hit so hard with the water jet from the fire hose that she burst an eardrum. She didn’t regained her full hearing for six months.
12. During the “Carrie” shoot, De Palma also fixed up 
14. At the end of the movie, Carrie and Margaret’s house was supposed to be destroyed by a rain of boulders, but the conveyor belt moving the pebbles toward the tiny model house jammed. So De Palma just burned the little house down.
16. Fisk buried her (because De Palma was too squeamish to do it himself) in a pit under a board covered with pumice stones. There, she received a signal to reach out and grab Irving’s arm. The rocks scratched up Spacek’s arm, but she felt the result was worth it.
18. Since it was not taken from King’s book, that final moment startled King, too, when he first watched “Carrie.” “Man, I thought I was going to sh** in my pants,” he recalled of the scene years later.
20. The Kings were the only two white people in the theater, and the author worried that an African-American audience that had come to watch the “Sanford & Son” star’s sex farce wouldn’t be receptive to his high-school horror story. “They’re not gonna have any sympathy at all for this little white girl and her menstrual problems,” he remembered thinking. But the audience got into “Carrie.” When he saw two large men seated near him jump out of their seats and clutch each other during the final scene, he knew “Carrie” would be a hit.
23. The film has spawned numerous follow-ups, including a sequel, a notorious flop Broadway musical, and