An altogether different sort of comic than Hollywood usually adapts, Locke & Key, has found a new home for development. The comic series, written by Joe Hill and illustrated by Gabriel Rodriguez, has been rallied around a number of studios before landing at the feet of Universal.
Universal have Star Trek Into Darkness and Transformers scribes Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman on board to develop the graphic novel series into a feature. They’ll get the project moving under their Universal subsidiary label, K/O Paper Products. The comic’s original publisher, IDW will also be involved with Ted Adams joining as producer.
Rights to the supernatural series were previously owned by Dimension who let them slip, allowing Orci and Kurtzman the opportunity to swoop them up. With the aim of a TV series as the best medium for the story, K/O Paper Products and Dreamworks shot a pilot for Fox, which they passed on. Lucky for us, as now the adaptation will be invigorated for a full-length feature.
The narrative of Locke & Key spans across three acts. Each act has two six-issue comics dedicated to its story arcs, which follow the children of the Locke family. After their father’s murder, the three kids, Tyler, Kinsey and Bode return with their mother to their Massachusetts home. A sprawling mansion called Keyhouse holds many secrets behind its closed doors, which can be opened when the family discover a set of keys which give the user supernatural powers. Obviously there’s something evil lurking in the house which wants the keys for itself. Pesky monsters.
Featuring on the New York Times Bestseller lists for an extended period, the comics come from the pen of Joe Hill. The horror author has bagged a number of awards for his solo novels, Heart-Shaped Box and Horns. The latter has already been adapted as a feature, starring Daniel Radcliffe and will be released in the US on October 11th.
We’ll keep you posted on Locke & Key as more news develops.
