Chloe Moretz most recently starred in Martin Scorcese's film "Hugo."
"Never been so happy in my life!" Chloe Moretz tweets about getting "Carrie" role
Sissy Spacek earned an Oscar nomination for her "Carrie" portrayal in 1976
"Carrie" is based on Stephen King's 1974 horror novel
No word from MGM on when the remake will hit theaters
Los Angeles (CNN) -- "Kick-Ass" actress Chloe Moretz has been chosen for the title role in a movie remake of Stephen King's "Carrie," a horror story about a teenaged girl whose telekinetic powers turn a high school prom into an inferno.
The original 1976 movie, directed by Brian DePalma, launched John Travolta's film career and earned Oscar nominations for Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie.
Moretz, 15, tweeted about it Tuesday: "Never been so happy in my life! Thank you Kim Pierce and thank u MGM for the chance of a lifetime i will never forget!"
Spacek was 26 when she played Carrie White, a socially outcast high school student who grew up sheltered by an abusive mom, played by Laurie.
Carrie, in her desire to become accepted by classmates, wanted to attend her school's prom, but her mother objected.
"They're all going to laugh at you," her mother told her, a line that became one of the film's most memorable.
MGM announced last year that it hired Marvel Comics writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, who is also a staff writer on the "Glee" TV show, to pen a new script based on King's 1974 novel.
The studio did not say when production would begin or when the film would hit theaters.
Moretz most recently starred in Martin Scorcese's "Hugo," but her next film to hit theaters is "Dark Shadows." She plays Carolyn Stoddard, a rebellious teen, opposite Johnny Depp in the Barnabas Collins vampire role.
She gained attention in 2010 for her role as "Hit Girl" in the comedy superhero movie "Kick-Ass," in which Nicolas Cage played her father.
She also was the vampire in "Let Me In," a 2010 remake of the Swedish horror film "Let the Right One In."
Other Moretz films include the 2004 version of "The Amityville Horror" and ("500) Days of Summer" in 2009.