Graphic novel adaptations have led to some of the most talked-about series on television in recent years, and the success of The Walking Dead is proof enough that comic-based shows don't need superheroes to be a hit. Now, one of the most creative and wonderfully creepy comic series of recent memory is coming back to the small screen. A Locke & Key show is in the works for Hulu, and Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson is on board to bring it to life.
Locke & Key tells the story of three siblings who move to their spooky ancestral home in Maine after the murder of their father. They discover that living in the house gives them access to a variety of magical keys that enable them to use many different abilities and powers they never had before. Unfortunately for the kids and their magic keys, there's a demon who wants the keys, and they may not have what it takes to protect them. Hulu has officially ordered a pilot for a potential series.
Scott Derrickson of Doctor Strange has signed on to direct the pilot. He became attached to the pilot after being sent the script and loving it. If the pilot is received well enough to warrant full series order, Derrickson is expected to continue working on Locke & Key to direct more episodes until he has to depart to work on the Doctor Strange sequel for Marvel. The script was developed by Carlton Cuse (of Lost and Bates Motel) and Joe Hill, who wrote the Locke & Key comic series. Cuse and Hill will both serve as executive producers, with Cuse functioning as the showrunner.
This is not the first time that a series based on Locke & Key was in the works for the small screen. Back in 2011, a pilot was produced for Fox that starred Nick Stahl and Miranda Otto. Hopes were high that Fox would give the order for a series that would do justice to the comics, but the project never got past the pilot stage, although the first episode did screen at the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con, and a trailer was released. Check it out:
Hopefully the Hulu version of Locke & Key makes it past the pilot stage. I'd say the odds are pretty good, all things considered. Carlton Cuse and Scott Derrickson are pretty big names to have attached to any potential series, and Joe Hill coming on board to pen the pilot script promises that it will be as faithful an adaptation as possible with the limits of television. Additionally, Deadline reports that there was strong interest from a variety of networks and platforms, and Hulu beat out a lot of competition to gain the rights to the project. It's too soon to start planning Locke & Key watch parties, but I'm pretty optimistic at this point.
We don't yet know when we might get to see Locke & Key on the small screen, so be sure to check out our midseason TV premiere guide and our summer TV premiere schedule to see what you can watch now and in the coming weeks. Don't forget to take a look at our rundowns of cable/streaming and broadcast TV renewals and cancellations as well.
