A seven-year-oldStephen KingTV show’s genius concept can perfectly serve as the inspiration for an upcoming horror show based on another novel written by the author. Even though Stephen King adaptations have always been hit or miss, the prolific horror writer’s works continue to serve as the source material for many movies and shows. 2025, however, is gradually turning out to be a great year for adaptations of the King of Horror’s stories. The year started with a take onKing’s short storyThe Monkey, which mostly earned positive reviews from viewers and critics.
The Monkeywas followed up byMike Flanagan’sThe Life of Chuck,which is being hailed as one of the best adaptations of the author’s stories. While numerousStephen King adaptations are in the works, HBO’sIt: Welcome to Derryis among the most hyped projects in the works. Another Stephen King TV adaptation, which is scheduled to release this summer, is showing immense potential. However, it is hard not to see how the TV project could become even better if it emulated the storytelling formula adopted by an adaptation that was canceled after two seasons.
I’ll Be Disappointed If The Institute’s Adaptation Does Not Tie Into Other Stephen King Stories
The Show Has The Perfect Opportunity To Feature Several Iconic Stephen King Characters
MGM+‘sThe Instituteis another exciting Stephen King adaptation, which is based on the horror author’s book of the same name. It primarily focuses on a bunch of super-powered children who are abducted and experimented on by the titular facility. When the teenagers in the story gradually start learning the truth about the Institute where they are held, they set out to escape it before it is too late. Just by looking atThe Institute’s surface-level story, it is hard not to see how many Stephen King stories adopt similar ideas.
The Institute’s adaptation has the perfect opportunity to draw some connective threads between multiple Stephen King novels.
For instance,even inFirestarter, an organization called The Shop performs morally questionable experiments on humansto give them supernatural abilities. Stephen King’sDark Toweralso features an arc in which a group of telepaths, called the Breakers, are held in captivity by Trans Corporation and asked to break the Dark Tower’s beams. Characters in King’s novels, likeThe ShiningandDoctor Sleep, also have psychic abilities similar to the young characters fromThe Institute.
Stephen King never took the opportunity to draw clear connections between these stories. However,The Institute’s adaptation has the perfect opportunity to draw some connective threads between multiple Stephen King novels. Although the show does not necessarily have to pave the way for a full-fledged horror universe,it can draw references to Children of Haven fromTommyknockers, Carrie White fromCarrie,Danny fromThe Shining, Charlie McGee inFirestarter, Joe (Leo) inThe Stand, and several otherStephen King characterswith supernatural powers.
The Institute Can Repeat The Stephen King Shared Universe Approach Of Hulu’s Castle Rock
Long Before The Institute, Castle Rock Combined Many Story Elements From Many Stephen King Shows
Instead of loyally adaptingEdgar Allan Poe’sFall of the House of Usher, Mike Flanagan created a brilliant mishmash of several Poe stories with his Netflix adaptation of the horror author’s short story. Long before Mike Flanagan, Hulu’sCastle Rockalso pulled off something similar. Based on the fictional town appearing in Stephen King’s fictional Maine,Castle Rockriffed on many ideas and character beats from multiple Stephen King stories. From the Shawshank Penitentiary to subtle callbacks toThe Green Mile,Stand By Me,Christine, andThe Shining,Castle Rockfeatured it all.
Unfortunately, despite earning positive reviews from both viewers and critics,Castle Rockfailed to last longer than two seasons.The Institutecan still learn from it and create its ownStephen Kinghorror universe by featuring characters from multiple horror stories written by the author. This would make the show immensely appealing not only to new viewers who are only starting to dip their feet into the King of Horror’s works but also to those who are well-versed with his stories and quick to notice the loosely shared lore scattered throughout his vast literary world.
The Institute
A kidnapped prodigy with special abilities, Luke, ends up at The Institute, while Tim, a former cop, seeks a new life in a nearby town. Their fates are inevitably linked.
Castle Rock
Cast
Castle Rock is a supernatural/horror television series based on the works of Stephen King. Set in the titular town in Maine, the show covers an anthology of supernatural stories surrounding various characters that work, live, and visit Castle Rock, all of which sharply turn the mundane lives of northeasterners into compelling tales of the extraordinary - both good and bad.
