A Stranger Things spinoff focused on the Hawkins Lab will probably never see the light of day, but Stephen King‘s overlooked show from 2025 manages to tell a similar story.
After nearly a decade, Stranger Things has finally ended its run. While it is debatable whether its closing arc is as satisfying as audiences expected it to be, the show deserves credit for its ability to last so long and still feel culturally relevant. Considering its lasting popularity, it is not surprising that Netflix is expanding the franchise with at least one confirmed spinoff.
While only time will tell how else Netflix will grow the overarching franchise, it seems unlikely that a rumored Hawkins Lab-era spinoff will ever happen. Interestingly, though, viewers who wish to see a Hawkins Lab-centric story can check out Stephen King’s most underappreciated show from 2025.
A Hawkins Lab Stranger Things Spinoff May Never Happen, But Stephen King’s The Institute Tells A Similar Story
Long before Stranger Things concluded its story, many viewers could not help but believe that a Hawkins Lab-centric spin-off would be a great follow-up to the Netflix series. For now, there have been rumors about many follow-ups to the main series, but only one is seemingly happening. A Hawkins Lab spin-off is seemingly not even in the cards.
However, the 2025 adaptation of Stephen King’s The Institute seems like the perfect unofficial substitute.
The show unfolds in a hidden lab in a small town, where abducted children with telepathic and telekinetic abilities are experimented on. Like the kids in Stranger Things‘ Hawkins Lab, the ones in the titular Institute in the Stephen King story are dehumanized and kept in isolation with the sole purpose of enhancing their powers.
Like Stranger Things, The Institute also drops nostalgic references to the 1980s.
Similar to Eleven and the other children in Stranger Things, the ones in The Institute eventually join forces and fight back against the adults who keep them captive in the name of science and a perceived greater good.
The overarching facilities in both shows remain hidden in their sleepy town settings before the truth about them is exposed. Both stories also serve as perfect metaphors for how humans are the real monsters, making The Institute a perfect show for viewers who loved Stranger Things‘ Hawkins Lab arc.
In Season 2, The Institute Will Also Outgrow Its Initial “Secret Lab” Setting
In The Institute season 1’s ending moments, the Stephen King story seems to outgrow the titular setting. Since the show has already been renewed for season 2, it seems likely that its next story arc will expand the opening installment’s vision and become more outward-facing and systemic.
It will still be quite different from Stranger Things in the sense that it will have no otherworldly supernatural elements, like the Upside Down or Vecna.
Considering Stranger Things‘ long-lasting legacy, it may be too soon to compare The Institute with the Netflix series. However, it would be fair to say that the Stephen King show could effectively fill the void Stranger Things will leave behind, especially with its similar Hawkins Lab story.
