Although it tookStephen King’s novelThe Instituteover five years to make it onto the screen, the ending ofStranger Thingsmakes the show’s 2025 arrival perfectly timed.Stranger Thingsseason 5’s releasewill be one of the biggest TV moments of 2025. The show became an unexpectedly massive sleeper hit for Netflix whenStranger Thingsdebuted in 2016, and each season of the series has outdone the last in terms of scale and scope since. Ironically,Stranger Things’ Rotten Tomatoes critical rating has declinedwith each new outing, but this doesn’t tell the entire story.
Although the cast strained credulity in their roles as teenagers,Stranger Thingsseason 4was still mostly seen as a return to form after the louder, busier, and more chaotic season 3. Where season 2 was effectively a bigger, more ambitious return to season 1’s story, season 3 was a colorful, goofy love letter to ‘80s pop culture that made the world ofStranger Thingsfeel too cartoonish and devoid of stakes.Stranger Thingsseason 4 soon solved that, becoming the show’s darkest outing ever thanks to scenes like Chrissie’s disturbing death.
The Institute Will Be A Perfect Stranger Things Replacement
Stephen King’s Novel Follows A 12-Yea- Old Orphan With Telekinetic Powers
Now,Stranger Thingsseason 5’s arrival threatens to leave viewers heartbroken. Even if theending ofStranger Thingsseason 5is flawless and somehow satisfies every viewer, the outing will still mark the end of the original series. The scramble to find a replacement for the popular show has now begun in earnest, and one Stephen King adaptation might be a perfect fit for fans who fear their trips to Hawkins are coming to a premature end.
2025’s upcoming Stephen King seriesThe Institutecould be the perfectStranger Thingsreplacementthanks to its familiar story elements. Adapted from the 2019 novel of the same name by the legendary horror author,The Institute tells the story of Luke Ellis, a twelve-year-old boy genius whose parents are murdered by kidnappers. The killers bring him to the mysterious, eponymous “Institute,” where he is housed alongside other children who all possess special gifts. Most of the children are telekinetic or telepathic, which may sound familiar to anyone who has seenStranger Things.
The premise of a telepathically gifted child being separated from their parents and held in a shady government facility by shadowy villains sounds very familiar.
AlthoughThe Institute’s storyis undeniably original, the plot has a lot in common with the setup ofStranger Things.There are plenty of differences to tell the two apart, such as Eleven’s mother not being killed inStranger Thingsand Luke’s relatively normal childhood contrasting with Eleven’s early life in captivity. However, the premise of a psycho-kinetically gifted child being separated from their parents and held in a shady government facility by shadowy villains still sounds very familiar.
The Institute Continues Stranger Things And Stephen King’s Relationship
The Horror Author Borrowed From The Netflix Hit In The Novel
Fortunately, no one could accuse Stephen King of stealing fromStranger Thingswith a straight face, even though the show is an obvious influence onThe Institute. The reason for this is thatStephen King’s work is one of the biggest influences onStranger Things, with the show shamelessly borrowing from his booksIt,Firestarter, andStand By Meto name but a few. Eleven’s powers and a government-affiliated organization’s attempts to control them are reminiscent ofFirestarter, while the show’s “Small town with a dark secret” setting is borrowed fromItandThe Tommyknockers.
The Instituteoffers a fresh take on the basic premise ofStranger Thingsand continues the rich tradition ofStranger Thingsand Stephen King borrowing from each other.
Even the title is a reference toNeedful Things, another king story set in a small town where nothing is as it seems. That novel also features a lone lawman determined to get to the bottom of a seemingly supernatural mystery taking over his town, much likeStephen King’sStorm of the CenturyandStranger Things. As such,The Instituteoffers a fresh take on the basic premise ofStranger Thingsand continues the rich tradition ofStranger Thingsand Stephen King borrowing from each other.
The Institute’s Release Window Is Great News For Stranger Things Fans
The King Adaptation Can Arrive Just As Stranger Things Ends
Since they are both due to be released in 2025,The Institute’s release window is perfectly timed to make the series an idealStranger Thingsreplacement. Cast members like Ben Barnes and Mary-Louise Parker have already made the show’s upcoming arrival an exciting prospect, but this convenient timing cements it as must-see TV.
The Instituteis set to arrive on MGM+ in late 2025.
After all, it would have been much worse timing ifThe Institute’s show had arrived closer to the novel’s 2019 publication date.Stranger Thingswas bang in the middle of its five-season run at that stage, meaning viewers weren’t concerned with filling the hole its absence left in their hearts and on their watchlists. Now, however, as viewers prepare to say goodbye toStranger Things,Stephen King’sThe Institutecan seamlessly replace the Netflix hit.
