Mike Flanagan's New Stephen King Series Officially Ends Netflix's 5-Year Horror Dominance

Published Sep 24, 2026, 4:15 PM EDT Adrienne Tyler is a movies & TV features writer, with a focus on horror. She has written for Netflix, FanSided, & more. She was a regular guest on the Netfreaks podcast and was a YouTuber at some point. Guillermo del Toro said “hi” to her once. Mike Flanagan is coming back to TV with a new adaptation of a Stephen King story, with which he will officially end his five-year horror dominance on Netflix. Mike Flanagan has become one of the modern masters of horror thanks to his work in film and TV. Some of Flanagan’s works now rank among the best horror movies of all time, but he has found the most success on TV. Flanagan made the jump to TV in 2018, and delivered some of the best horror TV shows of all time. Flanagan’s works – both movies and TV shows – have been adaptations and original works, and he has succeeded at both thanks to his talent in storytelling and character studies. However, Flanagan has mostly stood out for his adaptations of Stephen King stories, which began in 2017 with Gerald’s Game, released on Netflix. At the time of writing, Flanagan has adapted three of King’s novels and stories, and he’s adding one more with Carrie. Stephen King’s 1974 novel Carrie was his first published work, and it’s one of his most popular stories, so much so that it has spawned a franchise with three movies, a stage adaptation, and other unofficial adaptations. Flanagan’s adaptation is the first time the story of Carrie White will be told on TV, and with it, he’s ending his Netflix horror dominance, and it isn’t a bad thing. Carrie Marks The Official End To Mike Flanagan's Horror Streak On Netflix Although Mike Flanagan’s Carrie is an adaptation of a well-known Stephen King novel, and it’s a story that even those unfamiliar with the novel know quite well, Flanagan is giving it a twist. The new Carrie adaptation is a reimagining of the story, and it follows Carrie White (Summer H. Howell), who, after spending her life in seclusion with her domineering mother, Margaret (Samantha Sloyan), is forced by social services to attend high school following the sudden death of her father. In addition to Carrie adapting to life outside her house, societal rules, and the many challenges of high school, Margaret also has to adapt to a new lifestyle and a job. Unfortunately, a bullying scandal and other challenges deeply affect Carrie, but they also bring out her dormant telekinetic powers, which only grow more and more. Carrie will be released on Prime Video on October 7, 2026, making it the first Mike Flanagan TV show not released on Netflix. Flanagan’s TV work began in 2018 with The Haunting of Hill House, released on Netflix, followed by The Haunting of Bly Manor two years later. Flanagan then signed a deal with Netflix to produce TV content, and so he brought Midnight Mass, The Midnight Club, and The Fall of the House of Usher. Flanagan’s Netflix TV shows were key to establishing him as one of the modern masters of horror, and his name is now synonymous with high-quality horror content. Mike Flanagan's Netflix Legacy Shouldn't Be Forgotten Mike Flanagan is entering a new era with Carrie, but that doesn’t mean his Netflix legacy should ever be forgotten. Flanagan not only brought some of the best Netflix TV shows of all time, but they were also highly influential and beneficial to the horror genre on TV. Flanagan doesn’t rely on jumpscares, and instead goes for psychological horror, emotional depth, and character-driven stories, going deep into the characters’ psychology. Flanagan also explores complex themes in his horror shows, such as grief, trauma, and loss, in ways that the audience can relate to the characters. Flanagan has been key to elevating horror, proving that the genre is a lot more than jumpscares and supernatural monsters. Flanagan’s mark on Netflix will remain, and the platform has a lot to thank him for, but that doesn’t mean he can’t succeed somewhere else. Carrie is only the beginning of Flanagan’s time over at Prime Video, as he also has the TV rights to Stephen King’s The Dark Tower, he is reportedly working on Amazon’s upcoming Warhammer 40,000 project, and he has other movie projects outside his deal with Amazon. Mike Flanagan will surely succeed at Prime Video, and it’s to be seen which other horror shows he will bring after Carrie. Release Date 2026 - 2026-00-00 Network Prime Video Showrunner Mike Flanagan Cast Summer H. Howell Carrie White Matthew Lillard Principal Grayle Samantha Sloyan Margaret White