AN UPCOMING STEPHEN KING ADAPTATION ADDS TO ITS CAST

A new TV show or movie based on a Stephen King book is always exciting, and the upcoming horror TV adaptation The Institute has two new cast members.

Deadline reported 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 see The Institute on the big or the small screen.

In June 2024, Deadline reported that MGM+ decided that The Institute should have a series order. King's novel, The Institute, was published September 10th, 2019 and follows Luke Ellis. He is only 12 years old when his parents die, and Luke begins living at the Institute, a place for kids who have telekinetic or telepathic powers. This plot does sound a little similar to Firestarter, which has a disappointing reboot but is one of King's most beloved and classic tales. Like Firestarter'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 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.” Cavell and Bender have both worked on King projects before. Cavell, who worked on The Stand and Justified, will be an executive producer and writer. Bender worked on Mr. Mercedes and Lost and will be an executive producer and director.

There are a few details available about the other characters in The 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 in Weeds, it will be interesting to see her take on a truly evil person.

While there is a long list of Stephen King books that should be adapted for film, The Institute will 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 by Deadline and said he 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."

Source: Deadline

2024-09-07T04:16:41Z dg43tfdfdgfd