The Institute star Ben Barnes draws comparisons to his new Stephen King show and Stranger Things. A series based on King’s 2019 novel, The Institute, Barnes will star as Tim Jamieson, a former police officer who is looking to start his life over. The main plot of the series will follow teenagers at a secret facility who are abducted for their telepathic or telekinetic powers. The Institute will premiere on July 13 on MGM+ for eight episodes. The series also stars Mary-Louise Parker as Ms. Sigsby and Joe Freeman as Luke Ellis.
In an interview with RadioTimes, Barnes was asked about comparisons that have been made between The Institute and Stranger Things. He acknowledges that the two do share similarities, particularly Stranger Things season 1 and the discovery of children with powers. Barnes believes viewers may find things familiar, but that The Institute is not derivative of the Netflix hit series. He points out that The Institute has a detective-style story built in and that some of the familiar elements from Stranger Things “get sort of bent out of shape.” Check out his comments below:
The Institute has a similar kind of, like, gripping tension to it, that I think Stranger Things does. But it also has that quiet, almost detective-like story to it as well. So it marries a few different things which might feel familiar, but then get sort of bent out of shape. I don’t think it’s derivative at all, but it definitely… there’ll be things that people find familiar, hopefully.
I did love [Stranger Things], particularly the first season, which has the most parallels to this, I would say, in terms of having, like, special kids. But I also love the way that things are handled within the genre. I think you can have those kinds of powers stand in for qualities in human beings, in terms of, like, telepathy being the way that we communicate, or telekinesis being… using powers that we don’t know that we have to move or change a system or bend the rules, or whatever it might be. I think King explores those things really thoughtfully, which I love.
What This Means For The Institute
The Series Does Share Some Major Parallels With Stranger Things
Stranger Things was an instant hit when it debuted on Netflix in 2016. With the upcoming Stranger Things season 5, the main series is coming to a close. When the series began, the majority of the now-famous cast started the series as pre-teens or teenagers before getting sucked into the supernatural terrors that put Hawkins, Indiana at risk.
Barnes’ comparison to Stranger Things season 1 makes sense. Both deal with shady organizations that kidnap children with superpowers. From that point, the children are all subjected to a battery of painful tests with the idea of honing their powers. While that storyline is undeniably similar, it’s also one that has been used before, including King’s earlier novel, Firestarter​​​​​​. As The Institute approaches, it will be interesting to see if the similarities stop with this comparison, or if the camaraderie between the cast will also be familiar.
Our Take On Barnes’ Comparison
Stranger Things Has Taken Inspiration From King
Stranger Things has taken inspiration from King’s novels, even down to the title font, ITC Benguiat, which was used on many of his covers in the ’80s. While the comparisons are inevitable, it could be to the benefit of The Institute. Stranger Things stands out as one of the best examples of a coming-of-age story in recent years, and The Institute would be right to look at what made it so successful and try and incorporate similar aspects within its world.
Source: RadioTimes
The Institute
- Release Date
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July 13, 2025
- Directors
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Jack Bender
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Mary-Louise Parker
Ms. Sigsby
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Julian Richings
Stackhouse
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Martin Roach
Chief Ashworth
