The Institute: Makers of the Stephen King series explain the decision to cast older and the connection to The Shining

Stephen King‘s novel The Institute (which can be purchased HERE) reached store shelves on September 10, 2019 – and that same day, it was announced that David Kelley and Jack Bender, the duo behind the King series adaptation Mr. Mercedes, were working on a limited series adaptation of The Institute. Five years have gone since then and Kelley has dropped off the project along the way, but The Institute is moving forward at MGM+ – and Variety reports that a trailer for the show was screened at Content London on Thursday. Michael Wright, the head of MGM+, director / executive producer Jack Bender, and creator / executive producer Benjamin Cavell were also in attendance to talk about the show, including the decision to age up the characters for the adaptation and the story’s connection to The Shining.

Set to run for eight episodes, The Institute will tell the following story: When young 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 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. King is an executive producer on the series, which is set to premiere in 2025.

The series stars Mary-Louise Parker of Weeds (and Mr. Mercedes), Ben Barnes (Shadow and Bone), Simone Miller (Detention Adventure), Jason Diaz (The 100), Julian Richings (Supernatural), Fionn Laird (Under the Banner of Heaven), Hannah Galway (Sex/Life), Robert Joy (Land of the Dead), Viggo Hanvelt (Our Christmas Mural), Arlen So (Something Rotten), Birva Pandya (The Umbrella Academy), Dan Beirne (Ginny & Georgia), Martin Roach (Suits), Jane Luk (Streams Flow from a River), and – in the lead role of Luke Ellis – Joe Freeman. This is the first screen acting role for Freeman, who is 18 years old, six years older than Luke was in the book.

Bender explained that they aged up the young characters because, “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.“

Cavell mentioned that The Institute is connected to The Shining because the youngsters in the story all have a version of “the Shine.” “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 said that MGM+ is planning to release episodes of the show on a weekly basis, making it appointment viewing. He also confirmed that a second season is already being discussed.

As for the trailer that was shown, Variety provided the following description: The trailer gave a first look at the Institute itself, a cement, brutalist-style building where kids with telekinetic powers are taken after being mysteriously abducted. Luke, played by newcomer Joe Freeman, is seen meeting the fellow children in the Institute as well as villain Ms. Sigsby (Mary-Louise Parker) for the first time, who encourages him that he is doing something good for the world as he is hooked up to machines and made to move objects. “You’re not kids, not here. There’s no bedtime, there’s no chores,” a sinister Parker says in the trailer as clips flash of the children being abused and tortured. “But here, if you break a rule, there’s grown-up consequences.”

They also shared the image that can be seen at the bottom of this article.

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