An Underseen Stephen King Supernatural Horror Series Has The Author’s Stamp Of Approval

There are plenty of great Stephen King TV series out there, but the author isn’t a fan of every adaptation of his work. He does, however, endorse “The Institute,” the MGM+ horror series about telekinetic children whose powers are exploited by a shadowy government agency. While the show isn’t a carbon copy of the novel, King is pleased with the changes Benjamin Cavell and Jack Bender made to the story.

“When I write a book, it’s a single-person sport and when these people do a TV show or a movie it becomes a team sport,” King told AP News. “So you expect some changes and, sometimes, man, they’re really good.”

King also serves as an executive producer on “The Institute,” further suggesting his approval of the MGM+ series. Despite being involved in some capacity, however, the author tends to leave Cavell and Bender to their own devices, which should make the upcoming second season more intriguing.

“The Institute” Season 1 largely covers the events of the book, but what does the future hold now that the story has been told on the screen? For the next installment, the creators plan to expand the lore and introduce a new story, and it appears that their idea has Stephen King’s seal of approval.

“We’ve certainly talked a lot and thought a lot about where it would go, and I have talked a bunch to Stephen about what he thinks about it and where he sees it going,” Benjamin Cavell told Variety. “So if there is a demand for more, we would love to make more.”

The good news is that there was enough of a demand for more, as “The Institute” is one of many scripted series expected to return to screens in 2026. The exact date for the highly-anticipated Season 2 premiere has yet to be confirmed, but the production is already underway, so it’s only a matter of time until it arrives on MGM+.