How the Prime Video Series 'Carrie' Connects to the Kingverse

The new Carrie series is now available, revisiting one of the most significant stories of Stephen King's career—though perhaps not the most significant.

Before becoming one of the world's most renowned writers, King was an English teacher struggling financially while trying to build a writing career. It was during this time that *Carrie*—his first published novel, released on April 5, 1974—was born. The story almost never made it to bookstores; dissatisfied with the opening pages, King actually threw the manuscript in the trash, but his wife, Tabitha King, rescued the pages and encouraged him to keep going. The book's success changed his career trajectory, and two years later, an adaptation directed by Brian De Palma and starring Sissy Spacek helped turn the story into a horror classic.

More than 50 years later, Carrie is getting a new version for Prime Video, this time helmed by Mike Flanagan. The series retains key elements of the novel—such as the bullying, the troubled relationship with Margaret White (Samantha Sloyan), and the famous prom night climax—but expands upon the story. Flanagan updates the conflict for the social media age, incorporating cyberbullying and creating new characters to explore Carrie's (Summer H. Howell) past and the existence of others with similar abilities.

Carrie’s Power and the Fear of the Uncontrollable

Carrie’s telekinetic powers have always been at the heart of the story. In the original novel, King linked the character to issues of power and sexuality, as well as to how women are perceived when they discover their own strength.

The series expands on this discussion by introducing various women with supernatural abilities who, at some point, were treated as threats because of them. In Carrie, the issue lies not only in what the character can do but also in the reaction of those unable to comprehend or control her powers.

That is why the new character Emaline (Thalia Dudek) is so important and such a spot-on choice for this new version. Unlike Margaret, who attempts to suppress her daughter's powers, she shows Carrie that there are others like her. It is through this expansion that the story begins to engage more clearly with a recurring theme in Stephen King's work.

How does Carrie connect to Stephen King’s "Kingverse"?

Carrie White’s story connects to the vast Kingverse primarily through a recurring theme in Stephen King’s work: characters possessing psychic or supernatural abilities. Carrie’s telekinesis parallels powers such as Danny Torrance’s "Shining," the abilities of the children in *The Institute*, and Johnny Smith’s premonitions in *The Dead Zone*, among other examples.

Not all of these stories share a direct continuity link. In many cases, the connection lies precisely in how King uses individuals with extraordinary capabilities to explore isolation, trauma, violence, prejudice, and society’s reaction to the inexplicable.

Below, we list six of the author’s works that help map out these connections. All the works cited are stories created by Stephen King that were adapted for film or television, helping to cement their legacy. Some connections are thematic, while others are references that place these stories within the same vast Kingverse network.

The Shining and Doctor Sleep

The Shining introduces Danny Torrance, a boy with a psychic ability known as "the shining," which allows him to have visions and perceive events that others cannot. This ability also lies at the heart of *Doctor Sleep*, the continuation of Danny's story.

The connection to Carrie lies in the presence of characters who possess supernatural abilities and must learn to cope with them. The work was also immortalized on screen by Stanley Kubrick’s classic adaptation, featuring Jack Nicholson in one of the most striking and terrifying performances of his career.

Interestingly, Doctor Sleep was adapted into a film directed by Mike Flanagan himself, marking a key point of intersection between the filmmaker and the universe created by King.

The Institute

The Institute follows children with abilities such as telekinesis and telepathy who are kidnapped and taken to a facility where their powers are studied and exploited.

The resemblance to Carrie lies in the existence of people with extraordinary capabilities and the interest of others in controlling them.

The story has also been adapted for television in an MGM+ series, which is currently preparing to launch its second season. Like Carrie, The Institute uses supernatural powers to explore themes of control, violence, and the way people who are different are treated as threats.

The Green Mile

The Green Mile introduces John Coffey, a man on death row who possesses supernatural abilities linked primarily to healing, resurrection, and empathy.

The connection to Carrie is thematic rather than a direct link between the stories. Coffey, too, possesses extraordinary abilities and is misunderstood by those around him, yet his powers serve a very different function within the narrative.

The story became even more widely known through the film directed by Frank Darabont, starring Tom Hanks and Michael Clarke Duncan.

The Dark Tower

The Dark Tower holds a special place in the "Kingverse" because it serves as a key connecting point between the various worlds created by Stephen King. The saga itself establishes links to several of the author's other works, including Carrie, The Shining, and The Dead Zone.

The connection to Carrie is direct: both the novel and the character Carrie White are mentioned in the books of the saga. In The Dark Tower VII, for instance, a situation is compared to the prospect of being "Carrie at the prom." King's own official website lists Carrie and Carrie White among the saga's connections.

This does not mean that Carrie takes part in Roland's journey or that her story is a direct part of The Dark Tower plot. The concept is simpler: Carrie is one of the stories that exist within the vast network of worlds and references built by King.

The saga was also adapted into a film, starring Idris Elba as Roland Deschain and Matthew McConaughey as the Man in Black.

Bonus: The Dead Zone

The Dead Zone follows Johnny Smith, who develops a paranormal ability to perceive the future and the past upon touching other people.

The connection to Carrie lies, first, in the presence of yet another King character whose life is transformed by a supernatural ability. But there is also a curious link within the literary universe itself: Carrie is mentioned in The Dead Zone as a work of fiction.

The story was also adapted for the screen by David Cronenberg, with Christopher Walken playing Johnny Smith, and was later made into a television series.

A connection that goes beyond references

Ultimately, Carrie ’s connection to the "Kingverse" does not rely solely on characters or hidden references. It lies primarily in a recurring theme in Stephen King’s work: people with supernatural abilities trying to understand their powers while facing the fear, violence, and prejudice of those who view them as different.

Thus, what begins as the story of a telekinetic teenager reveals a theme that runs through many of the author's works. It is yet another instance of King using the supernatural not merely for the sake of horror, but to explore human and social themes.