'Game of Thrones' Star Joins Season 2 of Stephen King's Most Misunderstood Series

1 week ago 8

Alfie Allen standing next to Gemma Whelan in Game of Thrones

Published Feb 4, 2026, 12:41 PM EST

Ryan O'Rourke is a Senior News Writer at Collider with a specific interest in all things adult animation, video game adaptations, and the work of Mike Flanagan. He is also an experienced baseball writer with over six years of articles between multiple outlets, most notably FanSided's CubbiesCrib. Whether it's taking in a baseball game, a new season of Futurama or Castlevania: Nocturne, or playing the latest From Software title, he is always finding ways to show his fandom. When it comes to gaming and anything that takes inspiration from it, he is deeply opinionated on what's going on. Outside of entertainment, he's a graduate of Eureka College with a Bachelor's in Communication where he honed his craft as a writer. Between The IV Leader at Illinois Valley Community College and The Pegasus at Eureka, he spent the majority of his college career publishing articles on everything from politics to campus happenings and, of course, entertainment for the student body. Those principles he learned covering the 2020 election, Palestine, and so much more are brought here to Collider, where he has gleefully written on everything from the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes to Nathan Lane baby-birding sewer boys.

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After breaking records as the most successful premiere in MGM+ history, the return of a high-profile Stephen King adaptation is officially taking shape. The Institute was renewed for Season 2 back in August, and until recently, things were relatively quiet on the horror thriller series. However, a recent update from the legendary horror author himself confirmed that production was underway on new episodes in Halifax at last, with hopes of bringing the show back soon. According to a new report, it's now also bolstering its ranks with a big new addition.

Alfie Allen, best known for embodying Theon Greyjoy across all eight seasons of HBO's Game of Thrones, has been tapped to join the cast of The Institute Season 2. He's set to enter the scene as an eccentric European tech billionaire named Nolan Reeves, one of the titular Institute's richest and most powerful backers. Little is known about his background, but he's said to have ambitions of his own for the sinister facility and will likely have a lot of sway in the direction of the harrowing story going forward. Allen will join a returning group that also featured Joe Freeman, Ben Barnes, Mary-Louise Parker, Simone Miller, Fionn Laird, Robert Joy, Arlen So, Jeff Fahey, and Hannah Galway.

Coming off the Paramount+ thriller Girl Taken and Mark Williams' Safe Harbor, Allen will enter a season picking up right where the horrifying inaugural run of The Institute left off. Where Season 1 followed Luke Ellis (Freeman) and his fellow supernaturally gifted children as they uncovered the dark secrets of the oppressive Institute and fought back against their captors, Season 2 will see everyone banding together to expose the heinous crimes that took place within the facility. That'll be easier said than done for Ellison, Tim Jamieson (Barnes), and the rest, though, with killers hot on their heels and the ruthless Ms. Sigsby (Parker) working tirelessly to return to power in the background. Expect to learn even more about the inner workings of the Institute and how Allen's Reeves plays into the facility's future.