When Stephen King's novel The Institute was published, David E. Kelley was initially attached in September 2019 to adapt it as a limited series, with Jack Bender as director and Spyglass producing.

The project was revived in 2024 with Jack Bender still attached as director, but this time Benjamin Cavell took over as writer and executive producer under MGM+ Studios.

Several characters were aged up compared to their counterparts in the original novel when the series was cast in September 2024.

Ben Barnes and Mary-Louise Parker were cast as Tim Jamieson and Ms. Sigsby in June 2024, followed by Simone Miller and Jason Diaz as Kalisha and Tony, before eleven more cast members were announced in September 2024.

The first season was filmed in Halifax, Nova Scotia, between August and November 2024, with first-look images from the shoot released in December 2024.

Filming for the second season wrapped in early June 2026.

The series premiered its first episode at the SXSW festival on June 5, 2025, before its official broadcast premiere on MGM+ on July 13, 2025.

The show holds a 64% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 25 critic reviews and a Metacritic score of 52 out of 100 based on 16 critics, indicating mixed reception; MGM+ nonetheless renewed it for a second season in August 2025.