Prime Video's new television series based on Stephen King's debut novel, "Carrie," updates the classic tale of high school bullying and supernatural powers for the social media era, premiering on October 7.

The adaptation's creators and cast argue that the story's themes of ostracization and torment are not only still relevant but have been amplified by modern technology. "Bullying has not gone away in 50 years; if anything, it's just gotten worse with social media," said Summer H Howell, who plays the titular character.

Director Mike Flanagan, known for "The Haunting of Hill House," explained that it would have been "impossible to ignore the impact social media has had in changing the way we see each other." He noted that 50 years ago, bullying was largely confined to physical spaces like classrooms and school hallways. "It's happening with the audience of the entire digital world and enshrined forever, permanently on these platforms. It's a whole different ball game that way," Flanagan told BBC Newsbeat.

In this new version, iconic scenes, such as the prom moment, are recontextualized for a world where events are constantly filmed and shared online. Alison Thornton, who plays the chief bully Chris Hargensen, described social media as "kind of a villain in the show," highlighting how online posts can have "repercussions in real life" and the terror of content being permanently available online.

The cast and creator acknowledged that this adaptation diverges from Stephen King's original novel, which portrayed Carrie as a less sympathetic character. In the Prime Video series, Carrie has been raised in isolation by her paranoid, religious mother and enters school only after a tragedy. Howell described her portrayal as a "new, light version of Carrie that was excited to get out of her house and just curious about the world and people."

This approach aligns with Prime Video's strategy of targeting Gen Z audiences with adaptations of popular novels, following successes like "The Summer I Turned Pretty." Josie Totah, who plays Chris's sidekick Tina, stated that she would only participate in a remake if the "intention" felt right, emphasizing the need for a clear answer to "why now?"

While some fans have critiqued the series for deviating from the book, early critical reception has been largely positive, with an 85% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Reviewers often praised the performances and social commentary, though some found it less frightening than previous iterations.

Flanagan, who has adapted other Stephen King novels and works by authors like Shirley Jackson and Edgar Allan Poe, noted that adapting King's work while he is still alive presented a unique challenge. "I hope people are going to look at these changes and say: 'Oh, this is actually why it makes good sense to tell this story again today,'" he said.