Looking for a Stephen King series to watch all at once? Check out The Institute, which came out in the summer of 2025. While it hasn’t become as popular as Season 1 of It: Welcome to Derry (which streamed on HBO Max from October to December 2025), it’s still worth a watch. Typically, summer is a time for big, exciting movies, but not many new TV shows actually debut during those months.
Good news for Stephen King fans – and let’s be honest, who isn’t one? – there are several fantastic shows to quickly enjoy. Two great options are 11.22.63, a captivating time-travel story with a political twist, and The Institute, which premiered last summer and has been renewed for another season.
You Can Watch Stephen King’s ‘The Institute’ in Only Two Days (and Get Ready for Season 2)
MGM+
With only eight episodes, The Institute Season 1 is perfect for a weekend binge. The show debuted on MGM+ on July 13, 2025, and centers around Luke Ellis (played by Joe Freeman), a teenager with extraordinary abilities. Mary-Louise Parker stars as Ms. Sigsby, the director of the mysterious “Institute” – the place Luke is taken after being kidnapped.
Stephen King excels at building captivating stories around familiar science fiction, horror, and thriller elements, and that talent translates well to the screen. The Institute quickly establishes clear heroes – Luke and the other children – and a compelling villain in Ms. Sigsby, brought to life by Parker’s performance. Once viewers discover the unsettling location where these kids are held, they’ll be hooked, eager to uncover the truth. And no thriller is complete without a detective figure, which we get with Ben Barnes as the kind-hearted former cop, Tim Jamieson – a character who adds warmth to the story.
Similar to the successful adaptation of Stephen King’s It: Welcome to Derry, The Institute features compelling young characters grappling with difficult family situations. Instead of battling a monster like Pennywise, these kids are up against deceitful adults. You’ll quickly connect with Luke, feel sympathy for his past, and root for him as he faces frightening challenges.
In early February 2026, Stephen King announced on X that filming for Season 2 of The Institute had begun. Although a specific release date hasn’t been announced yet, it’s expected to premiere sometime in 2026.
In early February 2026, Deadline announced that Alfie Allen will join the second season of The Institute as Nolan Reeves, a rich and powerful figure in the tech world. Allen is well known for his role as Theon Greyjoy in Game of Thrones.
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Given that The Institute is based on Stephen King’s 2019 novel, viewers are understandably wondering what to expect in Season 2. Jack Bender, the show’s director and executive producer, recently told Entertainment Weekly that the story’s core revolves around the children. He explained that King often focuses on overlooked characters – like kids and stray dogs – who ultimately become heroes. Bender also hinted that Season 2 will be larger in scope.
It’s also defeating the dragon, battling the dragons featured in Game of Thrones. But where do dragons actually exist in the real world?
Fans are eager for news about It: Welcome to Derry Season 2, but The Institute is available now to keep you entertained until it arrives later this year. It’s the perfect show to cozy up with on a Friday night and rediscover why Stephen King is a master of horror.
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2026-02-21 02:04