Prime Video Is Bravely Rewriting One Of Stephen King's Worst Villains After 52 Years

Published Jul 25, 2026, 9:43 PM EDT Stephen King has created countless terrifying villains, but one of his earliest stands as his most unforgettable. Across more than five decades, the horror author has introduced supernatural monsters such as Pennywise and Randall Flagg alongside human antagonists whose cruelty can be even more disturbing. That legacy began with King's first-ever published novel in 1974, which paired a bullied teenager’s forthcoming telekinetic powers with the religious abuse she endured at home. Now, 52 years later, the story's original villain is being approached from a dramatically different view. Credit: Robert Falconer/Prime Video Prime Video's upcoming Carrie series will rewrite Margaret White by establishing that Samantha Sloyan’s version genuinely loves her daughter. Previous iterations have depicted Margaret as Carrie’s fanatically religious and abusive mother, with Piper Laurie famously earning an Oscar nomination for playing the character opposite Sissy Spacek in Brian De Palma’s 1976 movie. In an interview with ScreenRant's Ash Crossan at San Diego Comic-Con, creator Mike Flanagan explained that the eight-episode format allowed him to dismantle King’s familiar story and rebuild it into something unexpected. This includes versions of Carrie and Margaret who deliberately differ from their portrayals in the novel and previous adaptations. Read Flanagan’s comments below: With this adaptation, I had an opportunity I'd never had before, which was to take a piece of Stephen King IP, break it into its essential elements, and build something new out of those. And that's my favorite type of adaptation. I haven't gotten to really play like that, except for Hill House and Usher. So our Carrie White is not the Carrie White of the book, not the Carrie White of any of the previous adaptations. Our Margaret White, completely different from the one Stephen King contemplated. We're taking things you think you know and turning them into something very, very unexpected, and that for me was irresistible. This turned out to be one of my favorite projects I've ever worked on because of it. Sloyan elaborated on one of the biggest changes, revealing that Margaret will begin the series as a fiercely protective mother who wants only what she believes is best for Carrie. However, that love will gradually mutate as different circumstances influence her behavior, eventually leading her toward the dark destination audiences already associate with the character: I think for Margaret, which I do think is one of the most different representations, I think what I loved is that she loves Carrie. That's where she starts from. We are getting to the same point via a different path, and I think that this path to see how Margaret gets where she's going, starting in a different spot, starting with love, starting with fiercely protecting her, starting with wanting the best for her, and to see how that mutates as the piece goes, and how different things affect her choices, and then lands her where she ends up. Margaret’s love for Carrie doesn't necessarily make her any less dangerous. King has previously explored this theme of how love can become a horror, most notably in Pet Sematary, where a father’s love for his family and inability to accept loss lead him toward devastating choices. Similarly, Margaret’s desire to protect Carrie could gradually mutate into the control and abuse at the heart of King’s original story. Flanagan has previously reinvented literary source material through Netflix’s The Haunting of Hill House and The Fall of the House of Usher, using familiar foundations to create largely original stories. Summer H. Howell stars as Carrie White alongside Sloyan, with Siena Agudong, Amber Midthunder, Matthew Lillard, Alison Thornton, Joel Oulette, Arthur Conti, and Josie Totah also among the cast. Carrie will debut on Prime Video in October 2026. Cast Summer H. Howell Carrie White Matthew Lillard Principal Grayle Samantha Sloyan Margaret White