Mike Flanagan's "Carrie" Gave Matthew Lillard the Same Death He Had in "Scream," and It Was on Purpose

Matthew Lillard has now been electrocuted on screen twice, and the second time was a gift from a fellow horror superfan. In Mike Flanagan’s new“Carrie”miniseries on Prime Video, Lillard plays Principal Henry Grayle, who meets his end at prom when dangling wires do him in. It’s the exact same fate as Stu Macher, Lillard’s character in 1996’s“Scream,”who famously got crushed by a falling TV. Flanagan confirmed to Page Six that the moment was an intentional tribute, calling“Scream”one of the greatest horror films ever made and praising the electrocution as a tragic, visually striking end for the principal.

The best part might be Lillard’s reaction. Flanagan said the actor lit up at the idea, essentially saying,“I get to get electrocuted again!”Flanagan’s response?“But so much more, this time!”The director added that he loves how horror moves in cycles and moments, and that the genre is eternal. It’s a small detail, but it’s the kind of thing horror fans live for.

This version of“Carrie”isn’t a straight retread either. It pulls Stephen King’s story into the present day, trading 1970s small-town gossip for an Instagram account that fuels the bullying against Carrie White, played by Summer H. Howell. Flanagan is also cooking up“The Exorcist: Martyrs”with Scarlett Johansson, so the horror renaissance isn’t slowing down anytime soon.

Are you watching the new“Carrie”? Tell us your favorite horror Easter egg in the comments.