NEW YORK (AP) – Stephen King has made it clear that anyone looking to adapt his works for film or television should adhere to a simple guideline: first, do no harm. In a recent interview conducted from his home in Maine, King emphasized the importance of staying true to the original narrative. He stated, “When you deviate from the story that I wrote, you do so at your own risk. I know what I’m doing, and I’m not sure that screenwriters always do or that producers and directors always do.”
Despite his warning, some adaptations have strayed from his intended vision. King has experienced both success and failure with adaptations of his works. Iconic films such as “The Shawshank Redemption,” “Stand By Me,” “Misery,” and “It” have proved successful, while others like “Salem’s Lot,” “Graveyard Shift,” and “The Lawnmower Man” failed to resonate with audiences.
Recently, King has witnessed a surge in adaptations of his books for both theaters and streaming platforms, including “The Life of Chuck,” as well as upcoming projects like “The Long Walk,” “The Running Man,” and “It: Welcome to Derry.” Notably, the eight-episode series “The Institute” premiered on MGM+ on Sunday.
The plot of “The Institute” revolves around a clandestine government facility that imprisons children with special abilities—namely telekinesis and telepathy—and exploits them for dark geopolitical agendas. Notable details such as the children's rooms and eerie motivational posters, like “Your Gift Is Important” and “I Choose to be Happy,” are recreated faithfully in the adaptation.
Does King endorse this small-screen adaptation of his 2019 novel? His willingness to engage in conversation during the interview suggests approval. He even took on the role of executive producer for “The Institute.” King reflected, “When I write a book, it’s a single-person sport, but when these people do a TV show or a movie it becomes a team sport. So you expect some changes, and, sometimes, they’re really good.”
The series features Mary-Louise Parker as a nefarious scientist and Ben Barnes as a small-town cop, each representing opposing sides in the story of the abducted children. While the series remains largely faithful to the source material, it includes some significant alterations, such as relocating the setting entirely to Maine and aging the protagonist, Luke Ellis, played by Joe Freeman, to avoid appearing overly sadistic. Luke is the latest in a long line of King’s young characters with special powers, echoing figures like Carrie, Danny Torrance from “The Shining,” and Charlie McGee from “Firestarter.”
King stated, “I thought to myself, what would happen if a bunch of kids that had psychic powers could see enough of the future to tell when certain moments were going to come along? But the kids would be wrecked by this process and kept in a place where they could serve the greater good.” He regards the moral dilemma faced by these characters as compelling.
King expressed admiration for young adults, noting their capacity for bravery and nobility under pressure, while also acknowledging the potential for pettiness. He cited William Golding’s “Lord of the Flies” as an inspiration for his writing process, saying, “I tried to write a book about kids the way that kids really act.”
Benjamin Cavell, executive producer and co-writer of “The Institute,” mentioned King’s tendency to trust those he collaborates with, allowing them creative freedom within the adaptation process. Cavell remarked, “So much of the pleasure of King’s writing is the access he gives his reader to the deepest, darkest, most private thoughts and dreams and desires of his characters; the adaptor’s task is to make all that external and cinematic.”
Jack Bender, who has successfully adapted King’s “Mr. Mercedes” and “The Outsider,” directed and executive produced “The Institute.” He expressed gratitude for being one of the few creatives King trusts. Bender believes that King’s work taps into universal fears, concentrating on the “monsters inside of us human beings” instead of just external threats.
Initially, Bender and Cavell had to decide whether “The Institute” would be adapted as a standalone film or a series. They concluded that the weighty narrative, encapsulated in 576 pages, deserved ample screen time to connect with audiences. Bender declined to condense it into a mere two-hour film that would oversimplify the complex characters and their stories.
Despite the growing trend of adapting his works, King insists that his writing style has not shifted over the years; he has always aimed for a cinematic approach. “I am one of the first writers that was actually influenced by television as well as movies,” he said, adding, “I grew up with the idea that things should be cinematic and looked at in a visual way.”
In an interesting tidbit, King noted that he purposely named the small-town cop in “The Institute” Tim, inspired by a saying he read that “no great thing was ever done by a man named Tim.” King humorously hoped that his character would defy that notion.
