Forget Stephen King, Mike Flanagan Wants to Reboot 2 Steven Spielberg Classics

Following Mike Flanagan's success with Carrie, the renowned horror filmmaker is interested in tackling two major franchises, specifically pioneering ones from Steven Spielberg's iconic portfolio. Fans, of course, expect Flanagan to deliver nothing short of excellence, given his track record of rarely disappointing.

Known for his character-driven and emotionally intense approach to modern horror, some of Flanagan's notable works include the Netflix hits The Haunting of Hill House, Midnight Mass, and The Fall of the House of Usher, along with Stephen King adaptations like Gerald's Game, Doctor Sleep, The Life of Chuck, and most recently, Carrie.

Carrie, produced by Amazon MGM Studios for Prime Video, premiered on October 7, 2026, with all eight episodes. The series received critical acclaim, with praise for Flanagan's modern take on the source material and the performances of stars Summer H. Howell (Carrie) and Samantha Sloyan (Carrie's mom, Margaret). Even King himself applauded the supernatural horror series, calling it "brilliant" and adding, "What it has to say about social media is shocking and true."

With Carrie already out, Flanagan's next project, The Exorcist: Martyrs, is what every horror fan is looking forward to, and it is currently scheduled for release on March 12, 2027. In the meantime, the horror veteran has shared his future plans with fans, including which franchise films he hopes to helm if given the opportunity.

Mike Flanagan Has Ideas for 'Jaws' and 'Jurassic Park' Sequels

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Franchises and sequels were never part of Flanagan's original career plans, though he now finds it rewarding to put his own spin on familiar worlds. He said as much during a Prime Video-hosted Reddit AMA to promote Carrie while also discussing his future aspirations. Naming two of Spielberg's masterpieces, Jaws and Jurassic Park, Flanagan clarified that he doesn't aim to remake the originals but envisions improving upon the flawed sequels.

“I spent a lot of my career thinking I wouldn't do franchises or sequels, and - whoops - but I really love getting to play in a world I know and respect and adore, and put my own spin on it. Honestly, I wish to hell I could make a JAWS movie. Another example where no one will EVER get close to the original, but there is a ton of room for improvement on the sequels. A JURASSIC movie could be a blast too, I'd want to go really scary with it. A true dinosaur horror film would be a blast.”

As you know, the Jaws franchise began with Spielberg's 1975 film, which spawned three sequels: Jaws 2, Jaws 3-D, and Jaws: The Revenge. All of these fell short of the original's critical and commercial success. Likewise, the Jurassic Park film series started with Spielberg's 1993 adaptation, with him returning for the second film, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, which did not match the original's critical praise. This pattern continued with the next five installments, though some performed better at the box office.