Summary
It is exciting that a newStephen KingTV adaptation is in development, but it is hard not to be concerned about how it could risk being too similar to a hit Amazon show. Notall Stephen King bookstraverse well to the small screen, but the ones that do often become beloved adaptations that capture the essence of The King of Horror’s storytelling forte. For instance, while shows likeCastle Rockand11.22.63boast high critical ratings, presenting perfect blueprints of how King’s work should be adapted, others likeThe Dead ZoneandUnder The Domeare relatively disappointing.
Given how everyStephen King TV adaptationcan either be a hit or a miss, one cannot predict whether an upcoming show based on the author’s novel will succeed. However, the Stephen King novel the show is adapting has the makings of a compelling TV series and even seems relevant for the times. Unfortunately, it also shares way too many parallels with a popular Amazon show.
10 Stephen King Movies & TV Shows That Are Wildly Different From His Books
The works of Stephen King have made their way into many film and TV show adaptations, with some having little in common with their source material.
Stephen King’s The Institute And Amazon’s Gen V Have Similar Stories
Both Focus On Young Superpowered Individuals Imprisoned By An Evil Corporation
Theupcoming Stephen King adaptationThe Instituterevolves around a superpowered teenage boy, Luke Ellis, who gets abducted and awakens in a mysterious facility. He soon discovers that the facility accommodates other kids with supernatural abilities, who are all being experimented upon by a shadow government agency. As the story progresses, the kids in the central Institute decide to join forces and use their incredible abilities to overpower the evil corporation.The Institute’s story seems perfect for a TV adaptationbut seems uncannily similar toGen V’s.
Gen V’s connection with its parent series,The Boys, makes its storyline more expansive, but its season 1 similarities with the Stephen King book are a little too explicit to be ignored.
Even inGen Vseason 1, several young supes are imprisoned in a secret facility called The Woods. After being treated like lab rats for inhumane experiments, the young supes eventually take a stand against the humans that lead the facility. TowardGen Vseason 1’s ending, the supes wage war against the humans that harmed them and even defeat them to earn their freedom.Gen V’s connection with its parent series,The Boys, makes its storyline more expansive, but its season 1 similarities with the Stephen King book are a little too explicit to be ignored.
Stephen King’s The Institute: Cast, Story & Everything We Know
Stephen King’s 2019 horror novel The Institute is getting a miniseries adaptation from MGM+, and there’s already a ton of exciting updates.
The Institute Show Must Reinvent The Stephen King Book’s Formula
The Stephen King Show Must Avoid Being Too Similar To Gen V
IfThe Institute’s TV adaptation closely follows the events of the original Stephen King novel, it could risk being too similar toGen Vseason 1. Owing to this, it must reinvent the book’s formula instead of adapting it loyally. One way to achieve this would be by drawing a clear picture of the central Institute’s purpose and distinguishing it from that ofGen V’s The Woods. The adaptation can also delve deep into its young characters' backstories and make them seem different from the ones featured inGen V.
Instead of becoming another series about “kids with powers” that blurs the lines between good and evil,The Institutecan also experiment with other themes surrounding the illusion of autonomy and free will. While this approach will not make it completely stand out in the supernatural genre,it will at least give it a distinct philosophical and existential edge. Hopefully, theStephen Kingshow’s creators will come up with creative ideas to make it fresh and compelling instead of portraying it as another rehashed exploration of familiar tropes and ideas.
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.
