There are few movies I’m looking to with the same amount of fervor that I have for the upcoming Universal feature adaptation of Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez’s Locke & Key. It’s almost as palpable as the pages the comic is printed on. And so it’s no surprise that I, like many others, am worried that this feature may fall on the same chopping block as the proposed TV series from super producers (and so-so screenwriters) Robert Orci and Alex Kurtzman, who have stayed on as producers for the film version. Collider recently caught up with Kurtzman to get an update on the film, and not only was there a solid confirmation that no one is messing with any comic fans’ dreams, but he appears to be just as excited about the project as anyone else.
Asked how serious he is about the feature, Kurtzman responded bluntly, “We’re going to make a movie! We’re really serious. Absolutely! We’re really, really serious.” That’s all it takes to make me happy. But he had even more exciting news. “In fact, we have locked down on a writer who really came up with a brilliant way to take the best of the first couple graphic novels and play out a complete first movie story with a lot of promise of future movies, which is really our goal,” he continued. “I believe in it so much, and I believe in Joe Hill. All I want is to make that movie.” That whooshing sound you hear is me fist pumping over and over.
Unfortunately, the screenwriter’s identity will remain a mystery for now. Kurtzman’s response when asked about it only serves to solidify his excitement though. “I can’t tell you yet,” he says. “We’re very close, though. Hopefully, it will be out soon. We really loved it, too. But, it will live on as a movie now, and hopefully many.” His ambiguous use of the word “it” doesn’t quite sound like he’s talking about a screenplay, but he could talk about My Little Pony at this point and I’d still be amped up.
Today marks the release of the second-to-last issue ever in the series (probably), and its upcoming ending will definitely feel as jolting as the end of any one of my favorite TV shows over the years. (Take that, Lost!) Luckily, Joe Hill fans have the Alexandre Aja adaptation of Horns to look forward to at some undetermined time.
The comic mostly follows three siblings who live in a house filled with magical keys that each have a different magical power, and their battle against the evil beings that wants to use the keys for their own nefarious means. Part of the joy in reading the comic is in part due to the varying art and storytelling styles that Hill and Rodriguez utilize, and it’ll be interesting to see if any of that comes up in the film.You can't see it in the below trailer for the unaired TV pilot, which looks more like a season from American Horror Story, but it still looks pretty great. Let’s all keep our fingers tightly crossed that Kurtzman doesn’t reveal Orci to be the screenwriter.
