Mike Flanagan‘s new take on Stephen King‘s Carrie was unleashed on Prime Video last week, as we got to see the ways the filmmaker honored the source material while also putting fresh spins on familiar concepts. No adaptation of Carrie is complete without bringing to life the iconic prom scene, and while this series’ version of the sequence paid respects to what came before it, we also got some unexpected surprises.
In the new series, Matthew Lillard stars as Principal Henry Grayle, who is tasked with trying to keep the entire school under control. Understandably, he faces a lot of challenges with the arrival of Carrie White (Summer H. Howell), including at the infamous prom scene.
Lillard exclusively shared with us a number of behind-the-scenes images he took on the set of the prom scene, which you can see in the Instagram carousel below.
“On my first film, Serial Mom, Kathleen Turner told me that making a movie is like having a family with a built-in divorce. Those words haunt me to this day. Coming together, loving each other for an extended stretch of time, and then just walking away is a brutal reality,” Lillard shared with Bloody Disgusting. “Never were truer words spoken than with the cast of Carrie. We bonded in rehearsal and built a dynamic, loving ‘Hollywood family’ throughout the process. The ‘Younguns’ and the ‘Olds,’ as we called ourselves, would gather separately and together: dinners, weekend basketball games, movie nights at the Flana-plex North. We were bound.”
He continued, “I love taking photos, but I very rarely share them. As we were living through Carrie White’s prom, though, it felt like we were playing in the shadow of history, and I wanted to remember this brilliant collection of artists. It’s an honor to share some of these with y’all. I hope you like them. Sharing one of my passions with the world leaves me feeling a little naked and exposed.”
Earlier this month, Lillard echoed those sentiments about how fulfilling the entire experience was bringing the new series to life.
“I think that I have been around a long time and I think that one of the things that I found extraordinary is the level, the quality of actors that they brought in blew me away. I think that when you look at Summer Howell at the end of this year, you will have to consider her as one of the most incredible performances of the year,” the actor expressed. “I think that she is effortlessly brilliant the entire time. And not only as an actor, but how she conducted herself as number one on the call sheet is super important. She led with bravery. She was always prepared. She was just an incredible number one.”
All episodes of Carrie are now streaming on Prime Video.
What did you think of the series? Let us know in the comments below!
