Stephen King’s The Institute is headed to the small screen, with Mary-Louise Parker and Ben Barnes on board to star, Deadline reports.
King’s novel, published in 2019 by Scribner, follows Luke, a young boy who is kidnapped and taken to a facility where children with paranormal gifts are housed and exploited for their powers. A critic for Kirkus wrote of the book, “King fans won’t be disappointed, though most will likely prefer the scarier likes of The Shining and It.”
Parker, known for her roles in films including Fried Green Tomatoes and Boys on the Side and series such as Weeds and The West Wing, will play Mrs. Sigsby, the evil director of the institute, in the MGM+ series. Barnes (Westword, Shadow and Bone) is set to star as Tim Jamieson, an ex–police officer who crosses paths with Luke.
Jack Bender (Lost, Mr. Mercedes) will direct the series, which will be written by Benjamin Cavell (Justified, SEAL Team).
“It is my great honor to have another chance to adapt Stephen King, who has been generous and collaborative beyond my wildest imaginings,” said Cavell, who was among the writers of the television adaptation of King’s The Stand.
King returned the compliment, saying, “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.”
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
