Carrie White is a shy, isolated teenager at Ewen High School in Maine, living under the strict watch of a deeply religious mother. Her final months of school take a turn when a humiliating incident in the girls' showers exposes her to the entire class and sets off a chain of events she could never have anticipated. The film follows her strained relationships at school and at home as she begins to discover a frightening ability that may change everything around her.

How it was made

Announced in May 2011 by MGM and Screen Gems, the project was framed as a remake of Stephen King's 1974 novel and its 1976 film adaptation. The studios committed from the outset to an R-rated film, citing advances in special effects and the prevalence of bullying as reasons for a new version. The screenplay credit went to Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Lawrence D. Cohen, who had written the original. Kimberly Peirce, a fan of the novel and an admirer of Brian De Palma's film, was named director in January 2012. Chloë Grace Moretz starred, with Julianne Moore as Margaret White. Marco Beltrami composed the score and Steve Yedlin served as cinematographer.

Reception and legacy

The film received mixed reviews. Critics often called it unnecessary and faulted it for a lack of originality and scares, although its modern updates and cast drew praise. It premiered in Los Angeles in October 2013 and was released in the United States on October 18 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Screen Gems, grossing around 84 million dollars worldwide. Compared with De Palma's 1976 version, which remains the reference point for the story, this remake occupies a more modest place in the franchise and in teen horror cinema.

Stills

Trailer

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Trivia

World premiere

The film premiered at the Arclight Hollywood in Los Angeles on October 7, 2013, ahead of its US release.

Stephen King's suggestion

After hearing about the project, King suggested Lindsay Lohan for the lead role, though the part went to Chloë Grace Moretz.

More films by Kimberly Peirce

Boys Don't Cry1999

Stop-Loss2008

Original Cinematopedia text based on Wikipedia (es) and Wikipedia (en) and Wikidata.