Another novel adaptation in the works for Ben Barnes. After starring in the Narnia saga, the films Seventh Son and The Picture of Dorian Gray, as well as the series Shadow and Bone and The Punisher, the British actor is set to take part in a new project inspired by a novel. According to Deadline, Ben Barnes will star with Mary-Louise Parker (Weeds, The West Wing) in The Institute, an adaptation of Stephen King‘s book of the same name.
The eight-episode project, created by Jack Bender (Lost, Mr. Mercedes) and Benjamin Cavell (SEAL Team, Justified), will follow the story of Luke Ellis, a 12-year-old genius who is kidnapped and wakes up at the Institute, a facility filled with children all with unusual abilities. In a neighboring town, Tim Jamieson (Ben Barnes), a former cop haunted by his past, tries to start a new life, but the peace and quiet he seeks won’t last, as his fate and Luke’s are intertwined.
Mary-Louise Parker will play Mrs. Sigsby, the iron-willed director of the Institute, who firmly believes in her terrible mission. So much so that she’s certain history will come to see her as a hero.
Stephen King, the book’s author, made no secret of his enthusiasm for the film: “I’m delighted and excited at the prospect of The Institute, with its high-intensity suspense, being filmed as a series. The combination of Jack Bender and Ben Cavell guarantees that the results will be terrific.”
Ben Barnes
Mary-Louise Parker
