Hulu Passes On Locke & Key Pilot
by Erik Amaya
It seems the Locke & Key curse may be continuing with its latest TV iteration.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Hulu has passed on the pilot based upon the Joe Hill/Gabriel Rodriguez comic book. Sources tell the site that new CEO Randy Freer did not care for the pilot despite enthusiasm for the concept from the rest of the streaming platform’s executive team. Reportedly, after Hulu first committed to the pilot, they opened a writers’ room and developed seven additional scripts before Freer’s ultimate decision to pass on the series.
The pilot tells the story of the surviving members of the Locke Family as they move to a Massachusetts town following the death of husband and father Rendell. Soon, youngest Locke sibling Bode (It‘s Jackson Robert Scott) discovers their new home contains magical doorways unlocked with equally magical keys. The rest of the family includes mother Nina (Frances O’Connor), older brother Tyler (Jack Mulhern) sister Kinsey (It‘s Megan Charpentier) and uncle Duncan (Nate Corddry). The pilot was directed by It‘s Andy Muschietti with Lost‘s Carlton Cruse set as showrunner.
In a strange case of deja vu, Locke & Key was adapted into a pilot for FOX in 2010 starring The Lord of the Rings‘ Miranda Otto as Nina, Sarah Bolger as Kinsey, Jesse McCartney as Tyler and Nick Stahl as Uncle Duncan. The network passed on the series despite a successful advance screening at Comic-Con International: San Diego that year.
But the new version may yet see a reprieve as THR indicates the pilot is being screened for other streaming platforms and broadcasters. Nonetheless, it makes one wonder why the concept seems to intrigue executives at the pitch phase, but loses steam once a pilot is complete. Perhaps the focus ends up in the wrong place? Hopefully, like the 2010 pilot, fans will get to see a glimpse at what the series would look like on television.
