A new TV show or movie based on aStephen Kingbook is always exciting, andthe upcominghorrorTV adaptationThe Institutehas two new cast members.
Deadlinereported that Jason Diaz and Simone Miller are now part of the MGM+ show’s cast. They will portray characters who are total opposites. Diaz is playing an evil orderly, which will be fun to see, and Miller is playing an inmate who is at the Institute. The other confirmed cast members include Ben Barnes and Mary-Louise Parker.Several underrated King novels need adaptations, and fans have likely been waiting a few years to seeThe Instituteon the big or the small screen.
In June 2024,Deadlinereported that MGM+ decided thatThe Instituteshould have a series order.King’s novel,The Institute, was published September 10th, 2019and follows Luke Ellis. He is only 12 years old when his parents die, andLuke begins living at the Institute, a place for kids who have telekinetic or telepathic powers. This plot does sound a little similar toFirestarter, which has a disappointing rebootbut is one of King’s most beloved and classic tales. LikeFirestarter’s Charlie McGee, Luke is a spirited and smart child who learns about evil at too young an age and who deserves love, compassion, and understanding.
According to Deadline, King is excited about the adaptation and he said, “I’m delighted and excited at the prospect ofThe Institute, with its high-intensity suspense, being filmed as a series. The combination of Jack Bender and Ben Cavell guarantees that the results will be terrific.” Cavell and Bender have both worked on King projects before. Cavell, who worked onThe StandandJustified, will be an executive producer and writer.Benderworked onMr. MercedesandLostand will be an executive producer and director.
There are a few details available about the other characters inThe Institute. Parker plays Ms. Sigsby, who run the Institute and doesn’t understand how cruel it is. Luke meets Barnes’s character Tim Jamieson, a former cop, and the two bond. Since Parker often plays morally complex characters, like Nancy Botwin inWeeds, it will be interesting to see her take on a truly evil person.
While there is a long list ofStephen King books that should be adapted for film,The Institutewill work great as an eight-episode TV series. This is enough time to tell the story completely, but chances are there will be a cliffhanger at the end of the eighth episode, which could lead into a thrilling season 2. This will also be enough time to share important and compelling details about each character, particularly Luke.King’s stories have featured many scary teenage characters, but Luke is a good person who finds himself in an awful situation.
Since King has had most of his work adapted, he has often spoken about what the process is like. In 2016, he was interviewed byDeadlineand saidhe is fine with changes being made to his work. He said, “I want approvals over the screenwriter, the director and the principal cast. We try to make these people understand, the people that are doing the deal, that I want to be part of the solution, not part of the problem.”
