After multiple failed attempts to bring the comic to life, Locke & Key is nearing a deal for a season order at Netflix.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the pilot that was filmed for Hulu will not be brought to Netflix. Instead, the streaming giant with re-develop the project alongside IDW Entertainment, showrunner Carlton Cuse and co-creator Joe Hill. Pilot director Andy Muschietti will not return, as he’s currently tied up filming It 2. Despite not returning behind the camera, he will still receive an executive producer credit on the Netflix adaptation.
RELATED: Locke & Key Co-Creator Rebukes Netflix Pickup Reports
The series was officially put into development eight years ago, with Fox having given a pilot order to the project with the likes of Jesse McCartney and Nick Stahl attached to star. Interestingly enough, the pilot — which had been developed by Josh Friedman — was screened at Comic-Con International to plenty of buzz after the network opted not to pick-it up to series.
This may have led to Universal’s decision to secure the rights with the hopes of turning the beloved comic into a feature film. Of course, that didn’t happen either and the project made its way to the small screen, this time courtesy of Hulu. The streaming service ordered a pilot earlier this year, but to the surprise of many, opted to pass on the series, seemingly returning Locke & Key back to development hell. Thankfully, that isn’t the case, as Netflix is looking to move forward with a series order for Locke & Key.
RELATED: Hulu Passes on Locke & Key Series, Pilot Being Shopped to Amazon, Netflix
Interestingly enough, despite passing on the pilot, Hulu is said to have paid to keep the writer’s room open long after filming completed on the pilot episode, resulting in the completion of an additional seven scripts. Of course, with the series being re-developed from the ground up, it would appear those scripts will not be used.
Debuting in 2008 from IDW Publishing, Locke & Key centers on Nina Locke and her three children Tyler, Kinsey and Bode, who, after the murder of Nina’s husband Rendell, return to Keyhouse, the family home in Lovecraft, Massachusetts. There, they encounter the manipulative entity Dodge and numerous doors that can transport the mansion’s residents to other worlds or bestow them with supernatural abilities.