Late last week, Nathan graced us with a story about MGM’s supposed short list for the lead role in Kimberly Peirce’s remake of Carrie, a list that included Chloe Moretz and Haley Bennett at the top, with other names like Dakota Fanning, Lily Collins, and Emily Browning rounding out the apparent second-string picks. It was a relatively odd list – a mix of ages, looks, and star power, with only one name really sticking out as the actress most likely to get as gritty and desperate as Sissy Spacek so memorably did in Brian DePalma’s original film (based on the 1974 Stephen King novel).
That actress is of course 15-year-old Moretz, who has already turned in her share of gritty and desperate work before even hitting legal driving age (see: Kick-Ass, Let Me In, and Hick). Thankfully, it looks like MGM and Peirce agree with my assertion, as Deadline Fulton reports that the studio and the director have now made a formal offer to Moretz. The outlet adds that, despite last week’s short list, “Peirce and the studio had an eye on Moretz. The studio denied it at the time, but what actually happened is, Moretz didn’t meet with Peirce until last weekend. She got the job immediately.”
Once Moretz officially signs on, the studio will start working on casting Carrie’s fundamentalist mother (played by Piper Laurie in DePalma’s film), with rumors holding that Peirce in interested in Jodie Foster or Julianne Moore for the gig.
While most remakes tend to feel quite unnecessary, this new Carrie has a ton going for it – talented director, what looks to be a solid cast, and the persistently reported news that it will stick closer to King’s novel (which was told in a more epistolary format, which could translate well to the screen).
