George R.R. Martin Praised This Stephen King Book & The TV…

Summary

George R.R. Martin praised Stephen King's The Institute, with the TV series premiering Summer 2025.
The Institute adapts King's signature horror storytelling with a gripping narrative about a child with telekinetic powers.
The Institute will have an eight-episode first season, potentially leading to more seasons, joining King's long line of successful adaptations.

Stephen King fans are having a thrilling summer, and they're about to be treated to a new TV show based on one of the beloved author's most chilling stories. As a bonus, legendary author George R.R. Martin once shared his love for this book, and fans will want to add it to their reading list and check out the upcoming series.

While Mike Flanagan's Amazon Prime Video Carrie series isn't here yet, the filmmaker's adaptation of King's The Life of Chuck is out now, and King's many readers are also eagerly awaiting the September 2025 release of The Long Walk. Since the prolific author always has many adaptations in the works at any given moment, it's no surprise that there is yet another upcoming TV show based on one of his books.

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By Timothy McClelland

George R.R Martin Once Praised Stephen King's The Institute & The TV Series Is Premiering Summer 2025

The TV adaptation of the Stephen King novel The Institute is premiering on July 13th, 2025 on MGM+, and George R.R. Martin tweeted about how much he loved reading the novel in 2019. He wrote:

"Once again, the King comes through... The moment I start one of his, I'm doomed to finish."

King posted about the TV series on his Threads account and shared the trailer, calling it "extraordinary."

While The Life of Chuck is, at times, a light-hearted story, and King himself said people might not be in the mood for it, The Institute covers more familiar territory. Published on September 10th, 2019, the story follows Luke Ellis, a twelve-year-old with telekinetic powers, similar to King's beloved protagonist Carrie White. After he is abducted and brought to The Institute, readers realize this is a sinister place. It would be a big understatement to call the tale gripping. Joe Freeman plays Luke in the TV series, and Mary Louise-Parker portrays the compelling Ms Sigsby who runs The Institute. Other cast members include Ben Barnes as a police officer named Tim Jamieson and Jason Diaz, Simone Miller, Martin Roach, and Julian Richings.

It's hard to watch the trailer for The Institute and not think of many other King stories, including Carrie, Firestarter, and even IT. While there is no monster like Pennywise the Dancing Clown, the horror centers around a child character who is being treated unfairly, and that is a common theme in King's books. Like misunderstood teenager Carrie White and Charlie McGee, the kid in Firestarter, The Institute's Luke is different from his peers, but he just wants to fit in and feel loved. The Losers Club in IT may not have supernatural powers, but they feel the same way. While many of King's stories are about good and evil and The Institute is definitely in that category, the story also delves into the dynamic between Luke and Tim, which is one of its most compelling elements. Tim becomes a friend who helps Luke navigate his scary new world, and it's a heartwarming relationship in an otherwise bleak story.

The Institute will have an eight-episode first season, and if it's as successful as many of King's adaptations, it's easy to imagine it being renewed for at least one more season.

When summer becomes fall, King fans will have yet another adaptation to look forward to: HBO Max's IT: Welcome to Derry. Although the prequel will premiere at some point before the end of the year, there is no official release date at the time of this writing.

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