Still hewing closely to a strict budget of remakes and proven formulas as it claws its way out of debt, MGM has now set its sights on doing another version of Stephen King’s Carrie, the classic novel about the horrors of menstruation, as well as overcoming the pains of adolescence by learning to be yourself—a telekinetically gifted psychopath. While there have been several adaptations of the story over the years—Brian De Palma’s original 1976 version with Sissy Spacek, 1999’s “sequel” The Rage: Carrie 2, the 2002 TV movie/pilot with Angela Bettis—according to Deadline, MGM and Screen Gems intend to make a version that’s more faithful to King’s original book (though we’re guessing still in a PG-13, maximize-the-profits sort of way).
To that end, they’ve hired someone who’s had experience transcribing King’s words: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, who previously turned The Stand into a series of well-received graphic novels. The comics veteran is also perhaps best known as the guy recently brought in to save Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark from Julie Taymor’s Theater of Cruelty vision, and provide certain concessions to mainstream audiences, such as a story. (Coincidentally, Turn Off The Dark has often been called the worst Broadway show since Carrie: The Musical. Life is strange like that.) And thanks to his efforts in cleaning up that mess, Aguirre-Sacasa also just been asked to join the Glee writing staff next season. Sounds like someone should probably send Julie Taymor a thank-you card.