Steven Spielberg Will Produce 'Locke & Key' Adaptation

To the surprise of some people, Locke & Key, the Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez comic will be coming to television by care of Stephen Spielberg, Alex Kurtzman, Robert Orci, and Josh Friedman. Locke & Key is about a trio of siblings living in a mysterious family house containing magical keys that can do a variety of things. Of course, that is about as blunt a summary as possible. There is also a deceitful close friend searching for the ultimate evil key, a psychopathic ghost responsible for the murder of the siblings’ father, and the family struggling to move on after said murder.

If they approached this TV show as a limited, HBO type of series, it has the potential to be a successful horror fantasy. One part Calvin and Hobbes, one part Narnia, and one part Amityville Horror, Locke and Key could use each miniseries of the comic as one season. Wrapping up within five or so seasons would give them plenty of time to cover everything in the comics and add new side stories as well as flesh out the side characters.

What will really make or break this series is the budget for the effects. Gabriel Rodriguez’s art seems to be hit or miss with most readers, but there is no denying he has talent in drawing unusual scenes such as Bode flying around as a ghost, the settings inside each Locke child’s head, and the creepiness of Dodge in the bottom of the well. Out of all the comics I’ve read, the scene where he/she (Dodge) was brushing its hair and looking into a mirror as a bald and charred demon stares back was one of the most chilling moments I’ve ever experienced. If the producers of this TV show can come anywhere near that level of style, good God would it be a terrifying show.

Plus, there is the Stephen Spielberg facet to consider. Whether you love, hate, or ignore him, he knows how to bring in the money for a project. He can supply the proper resources to make this show a success. So far there have been no announcements concerning writers, directors, or actors, but with the project still in the early stages of development, more news is sure to follow.