has made a name for himself adapting the works of Stephen King. Following in the footsteps of other directors like Frank Darabont​​​​​​, Rob Reiner​​​​​​, and Mick Garris, Flanagan has translated multiple King novels. These include Gerald's Game, Doctor Sleep, and the well-reviewed The Life of Chuck. He also attempted to adapt Revival, but that ultimately did not move forward.

Movies and TV shows based on King have always been a mixed bag. Some are timeless classics, like The Shining or Misery, while others can be difficult to sit through, like The Lawnmower Man or The Mangler. Others are just wild to watch, like the King-directed Maximum Overdrive or Sleepwalkers. However, Flanagan has delivered acclaimed and compelling movies.

Flanagan has no signs of slowing down when it comes to bringing King's work to life, as he has two other series currently in various stages of production. The writer/director seems to challenge himself by adapting works that seem like they would be nearly impossible to translate to screen. However, his next project may be his riskiest so far.

A Carrie series for Prime Video is currently in production with Flanagan at the helm. The show has been described as a . Unlike Flanagan's past adaptations, Carrie has been adapted multiple times before. While most Carrie movies came and went, the 1976 Brian De Palma movie is considered a classic.

, only making small changes from the novel. Its success helped put King on the map, coming out only two years after his debut novel, and is cemented in the pop culture landscape. The Carrie show will have to fight an uphill battle, as it will undoubtedly be compared to the classic horror movie.

Given that Carrie already has what feels like a definitive version of the story on screen, Flanagan's show will have to do something different. The themes in Carrie are evergreen, like high school bullying or having a difficult family situation. The series will have to feel familiar to the source material, while also forging its own path.

Flanagan is no stranger to dealing with comparisons to a classic King adaptation. He wrote and directed Doctor Sleep in 2019 and had to walk a seemingly impossible tightrope of bringing King's novel to life, while at the same time being a sequel to Stanley Kubrick's The Shining​​​​. Doctor Sleep follows an adult Dan Torrance years later as he has to confront literal and metaphorical demons.

Although it was a box office bomb, . King famously disliked The Shining movie, but softened on it after seeing Doctor Sleep. As Carrie will be operating in the space of not having a separate sequel, but rather a new take, it will be subject to more direct comparisons.

When returning to The Overlook Hotel (something that does not happen in the novel, Doctor Sleep), the . There were also some shots and music cues to make that world feel familiar. Carrie won't be able to lean as heavily on those elements, so the comparisons will focus more on the cast and story.

If there is a King adaptation that seems insurmountable, it's The Dark Tower. Flanagan is working on an adaptation of King's magnum opus. The fantasy-western series follows Roland Deschain, a gunslinger, and his friends (or Ka-tet) on their journey to The Dark Tower. The series involves countless references to King's other books, and pop culture ones that include The Beatles, The Wizard of Oz, and Marvel Comics.

Flanagan snuck several Dark Tower references into Doctor Sleep, including Tet Transit for the bus line Danny rides, and Carl Lumbly's Dick Halloran saying "Ka is a wheel," a phrase spoken repeatedly in The Dark Tower series.

Outside of adapting King, Flanagan has an impressive pedigree with TV series, including The Haunting of Hill House, Midnight Mass, and Fall of the House of Usher to name a few. However, .

Given that the story takes place over eight novels and one short story, , considering how much material needs to be covered. However, there was already a Dark Tower movie in 2017 that failed to connect with critics, general audiences, and was overall loathed by fans of the novels.

As The Dark Tower movie was a failure, Flanagan's Carrie series may present a challenge for the show. If Carrie does not connect with audiences, they may not be willing to check out a series that covers a topic that already flopped once. That said, Flanagan has done nothing but produce excellent King movies so far, so I have faith that he can successfully adapt .