Summer H. Howell, a 22-year-old actress from St. Andrews near Winnipeg, Manitoba, won the lead role in the new horror miniseries adaptation of "Carrie" over 1,400 other candidates. Director Mike Flanagan praised Howell's earnestness and empathy, which distinguished her from previous portrayals by Sissy Spacek and Chloe Grace Moretz. The article highlights Howell’s background in horror films and how living at home with her supportive family has influenced her portrayal of Carrie, who starts the series with a loving relationship to her mother before encountering conflicts due to societal differences.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-08,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
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Story summary
Summer H. Howell, an up-and-coming actress from St. Andrews near Winnipeg, won the role of Carrie White in Mike Flanagan's new miniseries adaptation over 1400 other contenders. The series presents a fresh take on the iconic horror character, depicting her as more gracious and empathetic compared to previous iterations. At age 22, Howell has already starred in several horror films including Curse of Chucky (2013). Flanagan praised Howell's earnestness and empathy during an interview from Toronto, highlighting how these qualities define the new Carrie character. The series diverges from past portrayals by showing a loving relationship between Carrie and her mother Margaret, played by Samantha Sloyan, unlike previous iterations where Margaret was more fanatically religious.
Written for “Carrie Remake Casting Winner” on 2026-10-08,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
She’s not your parents’ Carrie.
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She → ’ → ?
Summer H. Howell, who lives with her family in the small community of St. Andrews just north of Winnipeg, is a distinct screen presence compared to Sissy Spacek, who created the role of telekinetic teen Carrie White 50 years ago for director Brian De Palma.
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who → live → Palma
In the new miniseries, adapted by horror maestro Mike Flanagan, Howell’s character is, while still socially awkward, a more gracious Carrie, even if her bubbling telekinetic power rocks her core of kindness.
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power → adapt → kindness
Flanagan says Howell won the part over some 1400 contenders.
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Howell → say → contenders
“She immediately brought something I’d never seen in any of the other 1400 candidates, which is just something that Summer Howell has in her bones, which is an earnestness and empathy and a kindness that doesn’t feel naive.
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that → bring → bones
And that defined the character for me,” Flanagan says.
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Flanagan → define → me
Though only 22, Howell has a number of horror projects under her belt, starting with the Curse of Chucky, (2013), director Don Mancini’s continuation of the venerable killer doll series he started as a screenwriter in 1988 with Child’s Play.
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he → have → Play
“Even then, it was obvious she was very talented, intelligent and delightful,” Mancini said of Howell.
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Mancini → say → Howell
Howell gravitated to horror repeatedly, with credits in Shawn Linden’s harrowing 2020 thriller Hunter Hunter, and the 2023 possession thriller All Fun and Games.
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Howell → gravitate → thriller
Earlier this year, she shot the horror thriller Sundown, in Winnipeg, with director Rebekah McKendry, which premiered last week at Beyond Fest in Los Angeles and is headed for a streaming berth on Shudder.
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which → shoot → Shudder
But Howell knows she has her most important, high-profile role yet as Carrie White.
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she → know → White
Interviewed via Zoom from Toronto, Howell says the fact she still lives with her family in St. Andrews, helped her slide into the role of Carrie, who, at the series’ beginning, has a loving relationship with her mother Margaret (Samantha Sloyan), in contrast to past iterations of the relationship, in which Margaret (played by both Piper Laurie and Julianne Moore), is portrayed as more of a hardcore religious fanatic.
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Margaret → interview → fanatic
“It definitely helps in ways, still being at home with my parents and having that family dynamic, especially because I love them so much,” Howell says.
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Howell → help → them
“My Carrie is different from the past Carries because her family is built from love.
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family → build → love
So a lot of the division that comes with the story and the issues between her and her mom are after she’s been out of the house and in school, seeing how other people are treated and how her upbringing has been different.
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upbringing → come → school
“But it all comes from love,” Howell says.
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Howell → come → love
“Margaret is fearful for her daughter and the world and just wants to protect her so bad that it pushes her to places she probably shouldn’t go.”
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she → want → places
Even at this early stage of her career, the role feels like a kind of culmination for Howell, she says.
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she → feel → Howell
“I feel like I’ve been working toward it my whole life and just slowly pulling it toward me,” she says.
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she → feel → me
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