Mike Flanagan Updates Carrie Remake in Vancouver

Mike Flanagan's eight-episode Carrie adaptation brings Summer H. Howell into the role of Stephen King's telekinetic teenager, with the series filmed in Vancouver and reimagining the story for modern high school life. Howell was selected from more than 1,400 candidates, according to Flanagan.

The new series changes several elements of the original story, placing Carrie White in a contemporary environment after her father's accidental death forces her into high school. The production stars Howell as Carrie and Samantha Sloyan as her mother Margaret.

Flanagan said Howell stood out during the casting process because of qualities that shaped his interpretation of Carrie.

"She immediately brought something I'd never seen in any of the other 1400 candidates, which is just something that Summer Howell has in her bones, which is an earnestness and empathy and a kindness that doesn't feel naive. And that defined the character for me," said Mike Flanagan.

Howell, who lives with her family in St. Andrews, Manitoba, has previously appeared in horror projects including Curse of Chucky, Hunter Hunter and All Fun and Games.

"Even then, it was obvious she was very talented, intelligent and delightful," said Don Mancini.

Howell said her family background helped her understand a version of Carrie whose relationship with her mother begins from a place of love rather than only conflict.

"It definitely helps in ways, still being at home with my parents and having that family dynamic, especially because I love them so much," said Summer H. Howell.

"My Carrie is different from the past Carries because her family is built from love. So a lot of the division that comes with the story and the issues between her and her mom are after she's been out of the house and in school, seeing how other people are treated and how her upbringing has been different. But it all comes from love," said Summer H. Howell.

Howell described the role as a major point in her career after years of working in the horror genre.

"I feel like I've been working toward it my whole life and just slowly pulling it toward me," said Summer H. Howell.

Flanagan, who is a permanent resident of British Columbia, said Vancouver has become a familiar production base after filming several series there, including Midnight Mass, The Fall of the House of Usher and The Haunting of Bly Manor.

"I'm a permanent resident of B.C. I got my permanent resident card last year. It took me years to get it. So shooting in Vancouver for me is now shooting at home, which I'm so excited about," said Mike Flanagan.

Flanagan explained that concerns about the environment faced by teenagers influenced his decision to update King's story, including issues surrounding school safety and social media.

"My oldest son was getting ready to start high school in the United States. And when I was bringing my kids to school in the U.S., I was frequently dropping them off in a place with barbed wire, watching them go through metal detectors and being notified that they would be doing active shooter drills, which for them and their generation in the U.S. is very normal. And I know for the rest of the world, it's very strange. One of the big reliefs I had when my family was working in Vancouver and my kids were going to school there was to drop them off in an environment where I felt safe leaving them, knowing that they weren't going to be going through that," said Mike Flanagan.

Flanagan said those experiences shaped the changes made to the adaptation and its focus on present-day threats affecting young people.

"It's the definition of horror, I think, to imagine that kind of violence occurring in what is supposed to be a safe place where kids are learning. You can talk about monsters and ghosts and vampires all you want. Real horror is that," said Mike Flanagan.

The director also highlighted Vancouver's landscape and film industry as reasons he continues to work there.

"What I love about Vancouver, other than the physical beauty of the city and of British Columbia in general, it's just so striking and gorgeous and esthetically beautiful. And it also gives you everything you expect out of a Stephen King New England story. It gives you your mist and your rain and your grey clouds and your pine trees.

It gives you that vibe, but it also gives you the beautiful bright green and blue water and the clear skies and the whales going by in the distance. It gives you all of it," said Mike Flanagan.

Flanagan added that local production workers have become an important part of his repeated projects in the region.

"The thing I love the most about shooting in Vancouver, though, at this point is the Vancouver crew. There's wonderful filmmakers in Vancouver that I think have made that local industry thrive so much. And now I've gotten to work with a number of them again and again. So I adore shooting in Vancouver," said Mike Flanagan.