There probably weren't too many people clamoring for a remake of Carrie, but if it's going to happen anyway, MGM has done us a solid by picking Kimberly Peirce(Boys Don't Cry) to direct it. When it comes to films dealing with some of the tough decisions young people are forced to make and the pain they endure(she also directed the war drama Stop-Loss), Peirce is about as good as it gets. With a number of talented young actresses looking to step into the role made iconic by Sissy Spacek back in 1976, two names have emerged as the frontrunners.
Haley Bennett(Kaboom) and Chloe Moretz(Let Me In) are the top choices right now, leading a pack that includes Emily Browning, Dakota Fanning, Bella Heathcote, and Lily Collins. Shailene Woodley(The Descendants) has already turned it down, while the others have read for the role. Crazy as it may sound, Moretz is the veteran actress in this scenario, the 15 year old actress having made her debut in 2005 stealing scenes in major films ever since, such as in Kick-Ass, Hugo, and 500 Days of Summer. She'll be seen next in Tim Burton's Dark Shadows. Bennett is nearly a decade older, but has only a handful of film credits to her name. Her biggest break came when she was picked by Terrence Malick to star in Lawless, which we've already seen some pre-production images of.
The story follows Carrie, a humiliated and bullied teenage girl from an abusive Christian fundamentalist home who discovers she has extreme telekinetic power, which she uses to get revenge on her enemies. Jodie Foster and Julianne Moore are reportedly being looked at for the role of Carrie's mother, both excellent choices although I see Foster better suited to it. Moretz might be the biggest name for the Carrie part, but she's not a proven box office draw on her own, so the extra cost to snag her may not be worth it. [Vulture]
