Locke & Key Pilot To Screen At Comic-Con Despite Being Passed Over By Fox

The biggest surprise (and disappointment) this pilot season had to be Fox passing on their high-profile comic-book adaptation, Locke & Key. One would think that adaptations, especially of the comic-book variety, would be a sure thing, because they not only come with a built-in audience, but they also know that the particular journey they want to tell has already been successful. That logic didn't stop Fox from bailing on the Locke & Key pilot, BUT it might indicate why the 'dead' show's still been scheduled for Comic-Con.

Comic-Con International is obviously a great place for new series to try and start fan acquisition, but, as Deadline notes, "showcasing pilots that didn't go to series is extremely rare. It will happen this year with Fox's Locke & Key, a suspense thriller based on the graphic novel by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez." IDW Publishing, the people behind the comic, asked Fox permission to hold a "one-time-only screening of the entire pilot [to] show you just what a void there will be on your TVs this fall." Big words. Can the pilot deliver? I don't know, but I want to find out.

Attending the panel, to be held July 22nd at 10:30 a.m., are series executive producers (and frequent geek-property adapters) Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, as well as producer Josh Friedman (who also wrote the pilot). It's a shame that the rest of the talent involved, namely director Mark Romanek and stars Miranda Otto and Nick Stahl, won't be there as well.

Here's the Locke & Key synopsis from the IDW website: