Stephen King’s Upcoming Series ‘The Institute’ Gets First Look and Update On How It’s Connectd to King’s Universe

Stephen King’s novel The Institute, released in 2019, follows twelve-year-old genius Luke Ellis. When his parents are murdered, he is kidnapped by intruders and awakens in the Institute, a facility that houses other abducted children who have telepathy or telekinesis.

On the novel’s publication date, it was announced that the television rights were secured for a limited series, with David E. Kelley writing, Jack Bender directing, and both Kelley and Bender executive producing.

In June 2024, it was announced that MGM+ had ordered an 8-episode television series adaptation of the novel with Ben Barnes and Mary-Louise Parker set to star.

At Content London panel, which featured MGM+ head Michael Wright, “The Institute” director and executive producer Jack Bender, and creator and executive producer Benjamin Cavell, they showed a full trailer for the series and a highlight reel of MGM+’s 2025 lineup.

They also revealed for the first time that King has joined the project as an executive producer.

The trailer offered a first glimpse of the Institute, a concrete, brutalist-style building where kids with telekinetic powers are brought after being mysteriously kidnapped. Luke, played by newcomer Joe Freeman, is shown meeting the other kids at the Institute and encountering the villain Ms. Sigsby (Mary-Louise Parker) for the first time. She tells him he’s helping the world while he’s hooked up to machines and forced to move objects.

“You’re not kids, not here. There’s no bedtime, there’s no chores. But here, if you break a rule, there’s grown-up consequences,” Parker says in the trailer as scenes show the children being mistreated and tortured.

The cast of The Institute also features Ben Barnes, Simone Miller, Jason Diaz, Hannah Galway, and Julian Richings.

In King’s original novel, Luke is 12 years old, but the series ages him up by a few years, along with some other characters. Bender, who has worked with King on Mr. Mercedes and directed episodes of Lost and Game of Thrones, explained why this change was made during the panel.

“We were very aware of not wanting this to be as awful as it can be, what these kids go through. We didn’t want it to be a sadistic experience. There’s a fine line and, god knows, as storytellers we didn’t want to go there.”

“Kids with ‘The Shine’ are being kidnapped by some shadowy organization that we don’t fully understand. But the kids ultimately are able to find a way to rescue themselves. There isn’t some external force that comes and saves them, the kids have to band together and through their own ingenuity and ability, find their way out.”

Wright hinted that MGM+ plans to release episodes of The Institute weekly to promote appointment viewing and mentioned that a possible second season is already being discussed.

“The end of ‘The Institute’ Season 1 is very cathartic, but it still sets up some fun games for Season 2.”

What do you think? Will The Institute deliver? Let us know in the comments below.

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