Prime Video’s New Mike Flanagan Series Fills The Void Left By A 10/10 Netflix Classic

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Mike Flanagan’s adaptation of Carrie is still in development for Amazon Prime, but it’s expected to debut around the same time as the end of Netflix’s popular Stranger Things. After a wait of over three years, the first part of Stranger Things season 5 has arrived, and most critics agree it was worth the wait.

Both viewers and critics seem to think the first part of Stranger Things season 5 is among the show’s best. If the final episodes are as good as these first four, the series will have a satisfying conclusion.

Even though Vecna’s plan in the fifth season of Stranger Things is intricate, the show has enough time to clarify its backstory before the final episodes. However, while fans are looking forward to the first spin-off, Stranger Things: Tales from ’85, which will arrive in 2026, it’s also difficult not to feel sad about the original series coming to an end.

Mike Flanagan’s Carrie Arrives In Time To Replace Stranger Things

Good news for fans! A new show to fill the void is already being made, and it’s not a Stranger Things spin-off. Horror master Mike Flanagan, known for his work on Netflix, is bringing Stephen King’s first novel, Carrie, to life as a series on Amazon. This marks his first project for Amazon, following the end of his three-year deal with Netflix and his move to a new streaming service.

Mike Flanagan rose to prominence in the horror genre while working at Netflix, creating popular series like The Haunting of Hill House, Midnight Mass, and The Fall of the House of Usher. Stephen King’s Carrie is one of his most famous novels, and it continues to be a well-known and impactful horror story over half a century after it was first published.

It’s safe to say a film adaptation of Carrie was always a promising idea. But the timing of Stranger Things finishing its run couldn’t have been better for the new Amazon Prime series. Both stories center on teenage girls with telekinetic powers and troubled pasts as they discover their strength, and Stranger Things and Carrie share a lot of similarities.

Stranger Things Borrowed From Stephen King’s Carrie

Throughout its story, Stranger Things drew heavily from works like Carrie, Firestarter, and It. The show includes many references to Stephen King’s novels and their adaptations, but the connections to A Wrinkle In Time in the first part of season 5 are its most noticeable literary influences.

However, Carrie is an important influence on the show. In seasons one and four, Eleven uses her powers to fight back against bullies at school, though she doesn’t go as far as the Carrie character, who unleashes a devastating attack at the prom in the book and movie. Both Stranger Things and Carrie also feature heroines who have trouble with adults in positions of authority.

As a huge movie fan, I’ve always been struck by the parallels between Eleven from ‘Stranger Things’ and Carrie White. Eleven has this wonderful father figure in Hopper who really cares for her, but then there’s Dr. Brenner, who’s awful and controlling at Hawkins Lab. It’s fascinating because Carrie’s situation is almost flipped – she finds kindness and support in her teacher, but her own mother is incredibly abusive and fanatically religious. It’s a really compelling contrast in how these characters experience authority and family.

Both stories feature teenage girls struggling against controlling adults. Ultimately, both girls rebel and use their abilities to break free. Eleven finds acceptance and a new family with the help of Mike, Dustin, Lucas, and Will, while Carrie’s anger leads to the destruction of her town.

The End of Stranger Things Makes Carrie’s Arrival Time Perfect

This point is crucial because Carrie doesn’t hide the dangerous aspects of its main character’s abilities. While Eleven does kill people in the first part of Stranger Things season 5, the show always presents her as a clear hero, unlike the more complex portrayal in Carrie.

Eleven is arguably the most heroic and definitely the most powerful character in Stranger Things, consistently putting others before herself and remaining incredibly loyal. This became even clearer as the show shifted from a focus on horror to more action and adventure in its final season.

The first four episodes of season 5 don’t feature any significant character deaths. However, this season of Carrie is noticeably darker, scarier, and explores more complicated moral issues. While Carrie is the main character, she’s also responsible for far more deaths than anyone else in Stephen King’s story – the difference is substantial.

If the fifth season of Stranger Things concludes with a victory for Eleven, the show’s main character with telekinetic powers, Mike Flanagan’s upcoming series could offer a grittier, more complex take on similar themes. While Carrie is likely to be a more troubled and unpredictable character than Eleven, she’s also expected to be just as sympathetic and endearing.

Because of this, Flanagan’s take on the Carrie story will likely be a darker and more heartbreaking story than the version on Netflix. This new Carrie series on Prime Video will be a great show to watch alongside Stranger Things once that series finishes in late 2025.

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2025-12-03 21:49