Mike Flanagan Reveals He Has a Three-Season Plan for CARRIE
Mike Flanagan already has bigger plans for Carrie, and apparently one trip to prom might not be enough.
The filmmaker’s new Stephen King series hasn’t even premiered on Prime Video yet, but Flanagan has revealed that his ideal version of the project would run for three seasons. That’s an interesting prospect considering the upcoming eight-episode first season appears to cover the story of King’s original novel.
Speaking with Collider, Mike Flanagan was asked whether the new series was designed as a one-and-done adaptation or if there was room for Carrie White’s story to continue. He explained that his “dream scenario” would be three seasons.
For now, those additional seasons are only an idea. Flanagan has made it clear that the first season was created to stand on its own and tell a complete story, so viewers shouldn’t expect to reach the finale only to discover they’ve watched eight episodes of groundwork for something that may never happen.
That makes the possibility of Seasons 2 and 3 more interesting because the series would have to move beyond King’s original story.
That’s potentially risky territory for a character whose story already has such a famous ending, but Flanagan has plenty of experience taking literary material and reshaping it for television.
The Haunting of Hill House and The Fall of the House of Usher both went far beyond straightforward adaptations, using their source material as foundations for something substantially different.
Doing that with Carrie White could give Flanagan an opportunity to explore parts of King’s world that previous adaptations haven’t touched, while still using the novel as a guide for where the story could go.
There was some understandable skepticism when another adaptation of Stephen King’s Carrie was announced. Brian De Palma’s 1976 film remains a horror classic, while the adaptations that followed struggled to escape its shadow.
Flanagan, however, has built an impressive history with King’s work after adapting Gerald’s Game, Doctor Sleep, and The Life of Chuck.
Early footage from the new Carrie, along with reactions coming out of the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival and Fantastic Fest have been met with positive reaction, and Flanagan isn’t just retelling the same story again. He has also said the series expands on material and details found in King’s novel.
The bigger question may be whether Flanagan can actually find room for two more seasons. His schedule is getting packed. Flanagan is directing a new movie in The Exorcist franchise, which is due out next year, and he’s also attached to another King adaptation with The Mist. Then there’s the massive project hanging over everything with The Dark Tower.
Flanagan has been developing his adaptation of The Dark Tower for years, and anyone familiar with King’s massive fantasy saga knows that getting it made could become a huge commitment on its own.
Of course, Flanagan has managed multiple projects before, and none of this means future seasons of Carrie couldn’t happen. It just makes the logistics a little more complicated if Prime Video decides it wants the series to continue.
There’s also a fun possibility here for King fans. With Flanagan becoming increasingly involved in different corners of the author’s universe, it’s hard not to wonder whether future seasons of Carrie could eventually brush up against ideas from The Dark Tower or even connect in some way to his previous King adaptations.
Maybe that’s getting ahead of ourselves, but come on. This is Stephen King. All things serve the Beam.
For now, we’re getting a complete new take on Carrie White, and anything beyond that will depend on what happens after the series arrives.
Carrie will premiere all eight episodes October 7, 2026, on Prime Video.