Locke & Key is the comic book series from writer Joe Hill and artist Gabriel Rodriguez. The series is published by IDW and is the winner of the 2009 Eisner for Best Limited Series, the 2011 Eisner for Best Writer, and was also nominated for Best Single Issue, Best Continuing Series and Best Penciller. Needless to say, this is a quality series.
In 2011 a TV series pilot was produced based on the comic, Alex Kurtzman and Robert Orci (Star Trek, Fringe, Mission Impossible: 3), developed and produced the pilot which was ultimately not picked up. The passing of the TV series wasn’t the end for the project however with a film adaptation having been announced as in development. In fact Alex Kurtzman has recently been reported to comment as follows;
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. But, I am as in love with it as you are. I believe in it so much, and I believe in Joe Hill. All I want is to make that movie.
So without any formal announcement of a writer, indications are there’s still a lot of enthusiasm for not just one film but potentially several. The Locke & Key series has been written in structure acts, so would be naturally suited to a film adaptation, but as for how literal a film translation might be, and how close this project is to a studio green light? We’ll have to wait and see.
