Another Stephen King novel is being adapted for the small screen with the announcement of MGM+’s miniseries based on King’sThe Institute. Released in 2019, the underrated horror book concerns a gifted 12-year-old boy named Luke who is mysteriously kidnapped and finds himself in an institute surrounded by children just like him. It wouldn’t be a King novel with a strange twist, and Luke’s gifts stretch far beyond the intellectual and include telekinesis. Stretching back to King’s debut novel,Carrie, the King of Horror has always had a penchant for stories about strange children.
When it comes to adapted works, TV shows andmovies based on Stephen King’s worksare numerous, and though they range greatly in quality, they are almost always popular. Even as classic King books likeSalem’s LotandITare being made and remade again and again, the prolific writer continues to churn out books and short stories that are worth adapting as well.The Instituteis one such novel, and though it is certainly one of his lesser-known modern works, it has all the hallmarks of a brilliant King adaptation in the making.
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10 Stephen King Movies & TV Shows That Are Wildly Different From His Books
The works of Stephen King have made their way into many film and TV show adaptations, with some having little in common with their source material.
Stephen King’s The Institute Latest News
The Stephen King Series Rounds Out Its Cast
As the Stephen King adaptation continues to take shape, the latest news reveals thatThe Institutehas rounded out its cast. Joining the likes of Ben Barnes and Mary-Louise Parker, it has now been confirmed (viaDeadline) thatBrendan Beiser (The Boys) has joined as a series regular. Furthermore,Mary Walsh (Resident Alien) and Jordan Alexander (Gossip Girl) will appear in recurring roles. As it stands now, nothing is known about the roles the three newcomers will be playing though most of the other roles have already been revealed.
Stephen King’s The Institute Is Confirmed
The Project Was Teased In 2019
Like most works by Stephen King,Hollywood came knocking to adaptThe Instituteas soon as the book hit shelves back in 2019. Though Jack Bender was attached from the outset, original producer David E. Kelly has seemingly exited in the years since. Interestingly enough, though the project took a long time to finally materialize, it was planned as a miniseries from the outset. Now, MGM+ has officially green-lit the series andThe Institutewill open its doors sooner rather than later.
Stephen King’s The Institute Production Status
Filming Begins Later In 2024
Though the miniseries hasn’t been given a release window yet, its assumed that it will air sometime in mid-2025 unless there are unforeseen delays.
After a lengthy development phase, it appears as if Stephen King’sThe Instituteis poised to enter the next step of production. According to the announcement of MGM+‘sdevelopment of the Stephen King series,shooting is set to begin later in 2024and will take place in Nova Scotia, Canada. Though the miniseries hasn’t been given a release window yet, its assumed that it will air sometime in mid-2025 unless there are unforeseen delays. With the cast still being rounded out, it’s assumed that pre-production work is still taking place.
Stephen King’s The Institute Cast
Ben Barnes & Mary-Louise Parker Have Been Cast
The lead role in the series has already been cast, and youngster Joe Freeman will play Luke Ellis, the boy who finds himself trapped in the Institute.Tapped to play the mysterious leader of the eponymous Institute, Ms. Sigsby,TV veteran Mary-Louise Parker will lend her considerable star-power and experience in the miniseries. Parker is perhaps best known for her stint in the lead role of the cult-classic seriesWeedson Showtime. Joining Parker isShadow and BonealumBen Barnes, who will play haunted ex-police officer Tim Jamieson, who investigates the Institute.
Joining the two leads, Simone Miller (Run the Burbs) will play the role of Kalisha, a sarcastic but ultimately friendly inmate at the Institute who becomes close friends with Luke. On the opposite side of that,Vampire Academy’s Jason Diaz will play the sadistic orderly, Tony, who takes pleasure in mistreating those being kept at the Institute. Most of the rest of the cast is also known, with newcomers like Robert Joy (who plays Hendricks), and Martin Roach (Chief Ashworth) being familiar to long-time TV viewers.
Stephen King’s The Institute Story
A Mysterious Institute & Kids With Telepathic Powers
Never a stranger to the weird and supernatural, Stephen King’sThe Institutefeatures many trademarks of the author’s most famous works.The story concerns a 12-year-old boy named Luke Ellis who is kidnapped and forced to live in a mysterious institutewhere he is surrounded by other youngsters who possess his telepathic abilities. Meanwhile, torturedformer police officer Tim Jamieson moves into the town next-door looking to start a new life, but his past is inextricably linked to Luke’s, and he can’t escape his shadowy history.
The Institute
Cast
A kidnapped prodigy with special abilities, Luke, ends up at The Institute, while Tim, a former cop, seeks a new life in a nearby town. Their fates are inevitably linked.
