SAS Rogue Heroes star Alfie Allen has joined the cast of a thriller horror series also starring Shadow and Bone’s Ben Barnes and Under the Banner of Heaven’s Fionn Laird. Allen, who’s known for playing Lieutenant Jock Lewes in SAS Rogues Heroes and is also famous for playing Theon Greyjoy on Game of Thrones, is set to appear on season 2 of The Institute, based on the 2019 novel of the same name by Stephen King.
Allen is to play Nolan Reeves, a character described as an “eccentric European tech billionaire” who’s involved in the Institute as one of its main investors. But he has an agenda of his own.
The second instalment picks up in the aftermath of season one’s climax as Luke Ellis (Joe Freeman) and Tim Jamieson (Barnes) team up with their fellow survivors to expose the Institute’s crimes as they’re tailed by an army of killers.
Meanwhile, the ruthless and calculating Ms Sigsby (Mary-Louise Parker) is plotting a return to power as she discovers more about the deep inner workings of the Institute.
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Rounding out the cast are Lost’s Jeff Fahey, Simone Miller, Robert Joy, Arlen So, and Hannah Galway.
Commenting on the casting announcement, Allen took to Instagram to share his excitement at being part of the project.
“Super excited to be a part of this!” he captioned a new post, confirming his character name, Nolan Reeves.
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Related: Alfie Allen: ‘Game of Thrones is way deeper than dungeons and dragons’
Earlier this week, King, who serves as executive producer on the show, announced that production on season 2 of The Institute had officially begun.
On Twitter/X, the novelist posted a picture of the front page of the script for episode one of the upcoming season, written by series creator Benjamin Cavell and directed by Jack Bender.
Premiered in July last year, the series has a 64% approval rate on Rotten Tomatoes out of 25 reviews. Critics have praised the series as “twisty, thrilling and laden with [King] lore worth exploring” (via Mac the Movie Guy) and “a unique experience” (via Cultured Vultures).
Elsewhere, The Hollywood Reporter criticised the lack of added value to the horror author’s lore, noting that the “occasionally involving” series “comes across more as a pu-pu platter of King tropes and archetypes rather than a fully developed or evolved spin on the formula”.
The Institute season 2 doesn’t have a release date yet. Season 1 is currently streaming on Prime Video and MGM+.
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Stefania is a freelance writer specialising in TV and movies. After graduating from City University, London, she covered LGBTQ+ news and pursued a career in entertainment journalism, with her work appearing in outlets including Little White Lies, The Skinny, Radio Times and Digital Spy.Â
Her beats are horror films and period dramas, especially if fronted by queer women. She can argue why Scream is the best slasher in four languages (and a half).Â