A new Stephen King series is currently in development. MGM+ has given The Institute a series order, with Ben Barnes (Shadow and Bone) and Mary-Louise Parker (Weeds) attached to lead the project.
King’s best-selling 2019 thriller novel, billed as a “gut-wrenchingly dramatic story of good vs. evil,” has been given an eight-episode order, scheduled to begin production in Nova Scotia later this year. Jack Bender (Mr. Mercedes) will serve as the series director. Bender will also executive produce the series alongside Benjamin Cavell (The Stand), who’s on board to pen the script for The Institute’s series adaptation.
Barnes is set to play Tim Jamieson, a character described as a “disillusioned ex-cop who takes a job as the night knocker in a small town.” Meanwhile, Parker will play “the charming but iron-willed director of The Institute,” Ms. Sigsby.
What is The Institute about?
The story will start with a 12-year-old boy named Luke Ellis, who woke up one day in a shady facility called The Institute. There, he would be joined by a bunch of children possessing special powers who, just like him, were all kidnapped for the same, mysterious reason.
“When 12-year-old genius Luke Ellis is kidnapped, he awakens at The Institute, a facility full of children who all got there the same way he did, and who are all possessed of unusual abilities. In a nearby town, haunted former police officer Tim Jamieson (Barnes) has come looking to start a new life, but the peace and quiet won’t last, as his story and Luke’s are destined to collide,” the synopsis reads (via Deadline).
“I’m delighted and excited at the prospect of The 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,” King said in a statement shared with the outlet.
No release date has been set yet for The Institute.
