Book Adaptations
Every Carrie Adaptation in Order: All the Films, the Musical and the 2026 Series
Quick answer
Stephen King’s Carrie (1974) has been adapted for the screen four times: Brian De Palma’s film (1976), the NBC TV movie (2002), Kimberly Peirce’s film (2013), and Mike Flanagan’s eight-episode Prime Video series, premiering October 7, 2026. It was also a Broadway musical (1988), revised off-Broadway in 2012. If you count movies with “Carrie” in the title, there are four, because The Rage: Carrie 2 (1999) is a sequel, not a retelling. That leaves two remakes of the film (2002, 2013), with the 2026 series as the first-ever TV series.
Every Carrie adaptation at a glance
| Year | Version | Format / director | Biggest change from the book |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Carrie | Feature film, Brian De Palma (United Artists). Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie | The documents-and-inquiry frame is dropped, and the destruction stays mostly in the school instead of spreading through the town. |
| 1988 | Carrie: The Musical | Broadway musical, dir. Terry Hands, Virginia Theatre | A sung stage version. It closed after 16 previews and 5 performances. |
| 1999 | The Rage: Carrie 2 | Feature film, Katt Shea. A sequel | A new heroine, Rachel Lang. Sue Snell (Amy Irving) is the only link back to the original. |
| 2002 | Carrie | NBC TV movie, David Carson, written by Bryan Fuller. Angela Bettis, Patricia Clarkson | Brings back an investigation/interview frame, but Carrie survives, because it was built as a pilot for a series that never got made. |
| 2012 | Carrie (revival) | Off-Broadway musical, MCC Theater, Lucille Lortel | A revised version of the 1988 show by its original writers. |
| 2013 | Carrie | Feature film, Kimberly Peirce. Chloë Grace Moretz, Julianne Moore | The locker-room humiliation is filmed on a phone and posted online, and Carrie practises her powers on purpose. |
| 2026 | Carrie | Prime Video series, 8 episodes, Mike Flanagan. Summer H. Howell, Samantha Sloyan | Not out yet (premieres Oct 7). Amazon’s synopsis adds her father’s death and a viral bullying scandal. |
The book: 1974
Carrie was King’s first published novel, released by Doubleday on April 5, 1974. (As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.) The book is built from documents: news clippings, a scientific paper on telekinesis, a memoir by survivor Sue Snell, and testimony to an official inquiry. You know from early on that something terrible happened in Chamberlain, Maine, so the tension comes from how, not whether. Most screen versions drop this frame, and that is the main reason they feel different from the book.
The story: Carrie White, bullied at school and abused at home by her religious-fanatic mother Margaret, discovers she has telekinesis. A cruel prank at the senior prom sets off the destruction. In the novel it spreads well beyond the gym into the town.
1976: Brian De Palma’s film
This is the version most people picture: the prom, the bucket of pig’s blood, the split screen and the hand from the grave. Sissy Spacek (Best Actress) and Piper Laurie (Best Supporting Actress) were both nominated at the 49th Academy Awards. Neither won. That is still unusual recognition for a horror film. How it differs from the book: the story is told straight, with no documents. Carrie destroys the gym and her house, but not the town. Margaret dies pinned by flying kitchen knives, whereas in the book Carrie stops her heart.
1988: the Broadway musical
Yes, really. Carrie began previews at the Virginia Theatre on April 28, 1988, played 16 previews and five performances, and closed on May 15. It became one of the most famous flops in Broadway history. Its writers later revised it for an off-Broadway revival at MCC Theater’s Lucille Lortel Theatre, which opened March 1, 2012 and ran through April 8.
1999: The Rage: Carrie 2 (a sequel, not an adaptation)
This is the entry that breaks most lists. The Rage: Carrie 2 does not retell King’s novel. It follows Rachel Lang (Emily Bergl), another telekinetic teenager, and Amy Irving returns as Sue Snell from the 1976 film. Count it when the question is “how many Carrie movies are there”. Leave it out when the question is “how many times has Carrie been adapted”. Most disagreements about the number come down to this one film.
2002: the NBC TV movie
This is the version people forget. It was directed by David Carson and written by Bryan Fuller (later of Hannibal), with Angela Bettis as Carrie and Patricia Clarkson as Margaret, and it aired on NBC on November 4, 2002. It brings back some of the book’s investigation framing through police interviews. Then it swerves: Carrie survives and Sue drives her away. NBC built it as a backdoor pilot for a weekly series, which it never ordered.
2013: Kimberly Peirce’s film
This theatrical remake stars Chloë Grace Moretz as Carrie and Julianne Moore as Margaret. It moves the story into the smartphone era: the locker-room humiliation is filmed and uploaded, and Carrie deliberately trains her powers. It follows the 1976 film closely enough that many viewers see it as a re-staging rather than a fresh reading of the book.
2026: Mike Flanagan’s Prime Video series
Confirmed All eight episodes premiere October 7, 2026 on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories. Flanagan is showrunner and writer and directs four episodes. Stephen King is an executive producer. Summer H. Howell plays Carrie and Samantha Sloyan plays Margaret (Amazon, updated September 9, 2026).
Not confirmed How faithful it is, how it ends, or whether there will be a second season. The show hasn’t aired, so nobody can judge it yet, including us.
Amazon’s official synopsis has her father’s sudden death push Carrie from home into public high school, where she faces “a viral bullying scandal” and “the relentless pressure and casual cruelty of the social-media age.” The full cast and trailer notes are in our guide to Mike Flanagan’s Carrie series.
Ranking the ones you can actually watch
Clearly labelled opinion, and only for the released adaptations.
- 1976, De Palma. It has two Oscar-nominated performances and a visual style that horror still borrows from. It ignores the book’s structure entirely and is still the best of the three.
- 2002, NBC. Underrated. It is the closest to King’s documentary feel, and Bettis plays Carrie as genuinely odd rather than shy. The pilot-friendly ending costs it a lot.
- 2013, Peirce. Two strong leads. The phone-video idea is its best one, and the film doesn’t push it far enough.
What order to watch (and read) them in
- Read the novel. It’s short, and every version is responding to it.
- Watch 1976, the version every later one is measured against.
- Watch 2002 if the book’s structure is what hooked you.
- Watch 2013, then the 2026 series from October 7.
- Watch The Rage: Carrie 2 only if you want the sequel, and only after 1976.
Want more King? Our Stephen King books in order guide covers the full bibliography, the best Stephen King books ranks them by quality, and the book adaptations hub tracks every page-to-screen project we cover.
FAQ
How many Carrie movies are there?
Four feature-length Carrie films exist: Carrie (1976), The Rage: Carrie 2 (1999), the NBC TV movie Carrie (2002) and Carrie (2013). Three of them adapt the novel; The Rage: Carrie 2 is a sequel with a new heroine.
How many times has Carrie been adapted?
The novel has been adapted four times for the screen (1976, 2002, 2013 and the 2026 Prime Video series) and once for the stage, as the 1988 musical, which was revised and revived off-Broadway in 2012.
How many Carrie remakes are there?
Two remakes of the film reached screens: the 2002 NBC TV movie and the 2013 Kimberly Peirce film. The 2026 Prime Video series is a third new version, and the first made as a series.
Is The Rage: Carrie 2 a remake?
No. It is a 1999 sequel about a different telekinetic teenager, Rachel Lang, with Amy Irving returning as Sue Snell from the 1976 film. It does not retell King’s novel.
When does the Carrie series come out?
All eight episodes of Mike Flanagan’s Carrie premiere on Prime Video on October 7, 2026, according to Amazon.
What order should I watch the Carrie movies in?
Read the 1974 novel first, then watch them in release order: 1976, 2002 and 2013. The Rage: Carrie 2 is optional, and only makes sense after the 1976 film.
Sources
- StephenKing.com: Carrie, published April 5, 1974 by Doubleday.
- About Amazon: Carrie on Prime Video, updated Sep 9, 2026. Covers the premiere date, episodes, cast and synopsis.
- Playbill: the original 1988 production and the 2012 MCC revival.
- TV Insider: Carrie (2002), NBC.
- Academy Awards database, 49th ceremony: nominations for Spacek and Laurie.
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