All art is subjective, of course… but what does it mean when a particular work of art is extremely popular? Is that popularity a direct result of high quality, or does it indicate an accessibility that suggests the work doesn’t challenge audiences enough? It’s a debate that has no real answer, only strong opinions—and this week, legendary author Stephen King weighed in.
But that’s just the top story in this week’s edition of The King Beat, which also features exciting casting news for an upcoming King adaptation, as well as a brand new pick of the week. There’s a lot to unpack, so let’s get started!
Stephen King gives his early critics a blunt and funny answer
After more than 50 years as a published novelist, Stephen King has left an undeniable and indelible mark on the literary world. His books are loved around the world, and his influence on pop culture in general is immeasurable – particularly in the horror genre, but also far beyond. He is one of the most celebrated writers of all time… but he still has a bone to pick with critics who believe that his works cannot be taken “seriously” because of their popularity.
King reflected on his relationship with these critics in a recent interview with PBS News Hour, speaking about the breadth of his career and his most recent book, the collection You like it darkerThe author has been in the five decades since the arrival of Carrie The book hit bookstores in 1974 (director Brian De Palma’s excellent adaptation followed two years later), and he remembers it not getting the attention it deserved because people believed that anything that was truly “good” would not be accepted by the masses. King said:
There was a time when I felt like nobody was going to take me seriously as a writer for writers, just as someone who was making money. And that made me angry, because I felt like there was an underlying assumption about popular literature that if everyone read it, it can’t be very good. I never felt that way. I felt like people could read and enjoy it on many different levels.
Of course, Stephen King isn’t the only creative to struggle with this particular problem. Films from the Marvel Cinematic Universe are constantly being scrutinized as filmmakers like Martin Scorsese try to draw a line between “art” and “entertainment,” and not a single awards season goes by without some talk of how the year’s biggest blockbusters fit or don’t fit into the Oscar race. When a work is appreciated by a lot of people, assumptions are made about how the lowest common denominator will like it—which is obviously not fair.
King has long rejected the notion that his books are less valuable because of their popularity. However, it is also worth noting that he has experienced some notable crises in terms of his self-confidence. The most notable example of this is his books written under the pseudonym Richard Bachman (including Fury, The running man, Roadworks, The long road And thinner). One of the reasons he began publishing works under assumed names was because he was unsure whether all of his bestsellers were based on merit and quality of work or on the reputation he had earned with his early novels. He eventually made peace with his own success, as he writes in his essay “The Importance of Being Bachman.”
Looking at the quote above, you can tell from Stephen King’s use of tense that he no longer takes criticism so harshly. So what happened? The interviewer noted that he “eventually stopped worrying about it,” to which King responded:
I’ve gotten old. And I think a lot of the critics who didn’t like my stuff are dead now, so screw them!
They say the best revenge is living well, but I suppose just moving on works just as well.
The TV series “The Institute” is being expanded to include two more main actors, including Ben Barnes and Mary Louise Parker
If you haven’t noticed, it’s a very special time for Stephen King fans – especially when it comes to the upcoming King film adaptations. Gary Daubermans Salem’s Lot will be released in October for Max subscribers; Mike Flanagan’s The life of Chuck premieres at the Toronto International Film Festival 2024; Osgood Perkins’ The monkey is due to be released early next year; Welcome To Derry will premiere in late 2025; Francis Lawrence’s The long road Production began this summer; and Edgar Wright’s remake of The running man is preparing to begin filming this fall.
That’s a lot of good things on the way – but don’t forget the upcoming TV series based on the 2019 novel The Instituteand the news of two new additions to the cast this week is a fond reminder of that fact.
Last June it was announced that MGM+ was developing The Institute by producers Jack Bender (Mr Mercedes) and Benjamin Cavell (The stand), and while the initial report revealed the involvement of Mary Louise-Parker and Ben Barnes, Deadline reported this week that Simone Miller and Jason Diaz have now been added to the project in key roles.
In The InstituteHighly gifted 12-year-old Luke Ellis wakes up one day to find that he has been kidnapped from his home and taken to a mysterious facility where children with psychic abilities – whether telekinetic or telepathic in nature – are tested and experimented on. Mary-Louise Parker plays Mrs. Sigsby, the terrifying director of the titular establishment, while Ben Barnes plays Tim Jamieson, a retired police officer whose life intersects with Luke’s when he moves from his home in Florida to a small town in South Carolina.
While the MGM+ series has not yet announced who will play Luke Ellis, Simone Miller is set to play Kalisha, one of the older children at the institute who eventually becomes Luke’s first girlfriend. Miller hails from Toronto, Canada, and her first major role was playing Raign Westbrook in the CBC Kids television series Adventure in prisonbut she recently played in 13 episodes of the series Mannix Run through the suburbs.
Jason Diaz will, meanwhile, be on the antagonist side of the plot in The Institutein connection with the terrible Mrs. Sigsby. The actor will play Tony – a nurse who has a certain sadistic streak. Diaz is a young talent and played Andre Dragomir in eight episodes of the series Vampire Academybut he also had recurring roles in shows like The 100 and the restart of Charmed.
The only “bad” news is that the trade report does not contain any information about when the series will start production. However, given that the cast is now coming together, it would not be the least bit surprising to learn that The Institute plans to begin filming before the end of 2024. Of course, you can count on me to be following the project closely here on CinemaBlend as new developments are announced.
Recommendation of the week: “Capable student”
Did you know that this week marks 42 years since the incredible Stephen King collection Different seasons was published? It was a work that started a notable tradition in King’s bibliography (namely, publishing omnibus volumes of four stand-alone novellas rather than a mix of short stories), and each of the entries is fascinating in its own right. In previous King Beat columns, I’ve had occasion to recommend three of the four stories in the tome — namely, “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption,” “The Body,” and “The Breathing Method” — but now I’m ready to suggest you take a look at what is undoubtedly the most controversial entry in the book: “Apt Pupil.”
One of the most disturbing stories Stephen King has written, The Disciple is set in Los Angeles in the mid-1970s and follows troubled teenager Todd Bowden as he begins a relationship with Arthur Denker, an immigrant neighbor who he discovers is actually a Nazi war criminal named Kurt Dussander. Rather than reveal Dussander’s identity to the authorities, Todd blackmails him into telling him dark details about the atrocities he committed. As the two grow closer, the relationship between them becomes a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse with role reversals that has a devastating effect on Todd’s mental health. Suffice it to say, this is not a novella to read before bed.
That brings us to the end of this week’s edition of The King Beat, but as always, I’ll be back here on CinemaBlend next Thursday with a brand new column rounding up the most important news from the world of Stephen King. And while you wait, you can check out my series “Adapting Stephen King,” where I look at the long history of adapting King’s works in film and television.
