A decade of development hell preceded the magical mystery of the Locke family home.
In short: Before finding a home on Netflix, the adaptation of the comic book series Locke & Key endured years of failed pilots and shifting networks. From a rejected Fox broadcast attempt to a passed-over Hulu project, the journey to bring Keyhouse to the screen was a long, complex production saga.
The path to the screen for the Locke family was far from straightforward. Originally envisioned as a television project for Fox during the 2010–11 season, the property saw a pilot script written by Josh Friedman and directed by Mark Romanek, which ultimately failed to secure a series order. By 2014, the focus shifted toward a potential feature-film trilogy under Universal Pictures, but that iteration also failed to materialize. It was not until 2016 that IDW Entertainment began actively redeveloping the concept for streaming platforms.
Hulu picked up the project in 2017, ordering a pilot developed by Carlton Cuse and Joe Hill. Despite casting actors like Frances O'Connor and Danny Glover, Hulu declined to move forward with the series in 2018. Netflix eventually secured the rights, opting to discard the existing Hulu pilot entirely. The streaming giant redeveloped the show, retaining only Jackson Robert Scott from the previous cast to play the youngest Locke child, Bode. This final version, overseen by showrunners Cuse and Meredith Averill, premiered in 2020.
The creative vision for the show also evolved during this transition. While the original comic book setting was named Lovecraft to pay homage to H. P. Lovecraft, the series creators pivoted to the name Matheson, Massachusetts. This change, suggested by author Joe Hill, was intended to honor the writer and screenwriter Richard Matheson instead. The series ran for three seasons, concluding in 2022 as originally intended by the production team, effectively closing the doors on the magical secrets of Keyhouse.
Opens the Intellect+ feed with this card first. Swipe up for the next one.
Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Locke & Key (TV series)
To cite this card, link to https://intellectplus.co.uk/app/entertainment-locke-key-tv-series.
How we source, check and correct cards: Editorial standards.
General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.
Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?
Related
More in TV series · More in Entertainment · Latest · A–Z · All topics
