10 Things You Probably Didn't Know About "Carrie" (But Should)

Tracing the near 40-year legacy of everyone's favorite telekinetic character.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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Telekinesis comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. But its most entertaining version might be in the form of Carrietta White, better known as Carrie, the gawky teenager at the center of Stephen King’s first published novel, which arrived in bookstores on April 5, 1974.

In the four decades since the book’s first printing, for which King received a $2,500 advance, Carrie White has taken on a life all her own, memorably portrayed by Sissy Spacek in Brian De Palma’s 1976 big-screen adaptation (the role earned Spacek her first of six Oscar nominations). And on Oct. 18, Chloë Grace Moretz will step into Carrie’s blood-soaked shoes to offer a new interpretation of King’s original text.

In anticipation of this much buzzed-about reimagining, here are 10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Carrie (But Should).

The book almost never happened.

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It is one of the most frequently challenged books in American schools.

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Brian De Palma and George Lucas held joint auditions for Carrie and Star Wars.

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Steven Spielberg could often be found creeping around the set of Carrie.

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There's a musical version of Carrie, too.

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Carrie's dad was a man-whore.

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Now Carrie's ready to ride again… but don't call it a remake.

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Kimberly Peirce got Brian De Palma's blessing.

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Julianne Moore was intrigued by Carrie's mother-daughter bond.

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Chloë Grace Moretz spent time researching her role at a homeless shelter.

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