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The series adaptation of Joe Hill and Gabriel’s graphic novel Locke & Key refuses to die. After Fox passed on the pilot written by Josh Friedman and directed by Mark Romanek, the companies behind it, 20th Century Fox, K/O Paper Products and DreamWorks TV, shopped it to other networks, with Syfy expressing interest but ultimately passing. The studio, faced with mounting costs of keeping the production alive, decided to pull the plug on the thriller, letting the actors’ options to expire on June 30 while signing Friedman in an overall deal. (Friedman has already set up a new project at Fox with a put pilot commitment.) Then IDW, the publisher of the Locke & Key comic, organized a screening of the pilot at Comic-Con in July, followed by a panel discussion with executive producers Friedman, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. And last month, a trailer for the show, presumably cut by Fox in the run-up to the upfronts, leaked online and went viral (video below). Also last month, a DVD of the pilot was given to MTV programming chief David Janollari. I hear he liked it but is yet to meet with the Locke & Key producers, so there has been no real conversation between the two sides. A supernatural thriller would be a major departure for MTV whose current scripted slate consists primarily of high school shows. And many caution that the budget to mount a Locke & Key TV adaptation is likely to be prohibitive for a basic cable network as evident by Syfy’s decision not to pursue the project after crunching the numbers.
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Doesn’t MTV pull way higher ratings then SYFY though? The video awards scored like 12.4 million viewers and Jersey Shore averages like 7- 8 million viewers too. Teen Mom does very well too. I bet the show could be within their budget.
slick trailer….
has serious potential….
McCartney has much better acting skills than what’s his face from SUMMERLAND….haha
Initially, I was very skeptical about the involvement of Jesse Mccartney in the series, until I saw the L&K pilot. Wow. I was not only impressed, but kinda shaken by how well he pulled off the role of Tyler. It was like the comic character had jumped off the page!
I’m not sure how you could say a supernatural drama starring Jesse McCartney would be such a big departure for a network whose current flagship scripted series is Teen Wolf, another supernatural drama with an appealing young male lead. I do see the potential budget problems but I hope MTV goes for it, even if that means scaling back the production a bit. If this was picked up by FOX, I would have been looking forward to it as much more than their other new big concept dramas. Terra Nova and Alcatraz both look like busts.
I’ve seen Locke and Key, Terra Nova and Alcatraz. By far, Alcatraz is the best. Then Terra Nova. Then Locke and Key. Locke and Key IS NOT GOOD. That’s why everyone passed on it. MTV hasn’t even met with the producers. That’s like saying the Lakers are interested in signing Dwight Howard, but they’ve yet to contact his agent. This whole story is a nonstarter.
“That’s like saying the Lakers are interested in signing Dwight Howard”
Not really. Dwight Howard is not unemployed.
No, actually that’s just your opinion. Fox Exec’s stated they enjoyed the pilot, but it was more like a movie than something for a TV series. One has to imagine the pricey budget played into the decision as well. Also I was at Comic Con for the showing, and our group loved it.
I’m pretty sure the only person who liked Alcatraz was the creator…
Locke and Key would be an AWESOME fit for MTV.
They don’t have the budget for this…
I got really excited when I read the title but basically, nothing has actually happened except the guy at MTV watched the pilot. Don’t tease!
If MTV does pick it up, L&K makes more sense as a mini-series. Josh Friedman—screenwriter— was able to fit almost the entire 1st arc of the graphic novel series into just one episode. And considering how when Joe Hill finishes the comic it will encompass 6 arcs, incorporating one arc per each TV episode, I think, works best in this particular adaptation.
Locke and Key has a very dedicated fan base which is growing steadily with each new comic. When the pilot trailer was leaked online originally, over 30,000 people watched it in ONE DAY. MTV would be very smart to pick up the show!
Initially, this looked a lot like American Horror Story…and as the trailer progressed it looked WAY BETTER.
LOVE this book. It would be nice if the series was given a chance.
Trailer is very good. Especially liked the shift in tone mid-way through that was an unexpected shift in tone. I can see why they compared watching the series to a movie. That was the feel of the trailer too. It is sad that I will never see the series. However, if MTV does make this show, I would watch it. Is there any chance it becoming a movie with the same actors? They all seem very good in it.
MTV needs to develop their own material and fire the team they have in there now.
This looks like a great fit for AMC to pair with WALKING DEAD, no?
No. This is a family program. Walking Dead is not for the kiddies.
You’re both wrong. AMC doesn’t have the budget for this, and Locke & Key is not necessarily a “family program.” The pilot was pretty dark, and the graphic novel is very dark.
After watching the trailer I can see why everyone is passing on it.Why would anyone want to put serious money behind a series that looks like B-Movie from the late 90′s to mid 2000s.Mtv will not pick this up, no one will.
Syfy seems to look at everything and pass because of budget. Not sure that MTV has the budget for it either. Don’t want to see a scaled back version of it.
Wow, that really does look cinematic AND better than American Horror Story. Too bad this wasn’t picked up.
Locke & Key was not good whatsoever. Too dark for its own good, and then its mythology gets wormier and wormier as it progresses. A mother forced to listen as a crazy person tortures her daughter? No real wonder why everyone has passed on it. Of course, MTV liked Teen Wolf enough to make a series of it so who knows?
Premise good, script good, casting HORRIBLE! Recast the entire bunch and you might have yourself a series. If the kids are to carry this show, get some that can act!
lol. It’s obvious you didn’t see the pilot. Jesse Mccartney and Sarah Bolger hit a homerun with their performances, as for the youngest (Bode)…he did alright.
Let’s all regroup and understand that MTV is watching the pilot but that doesn’t mean they’re going to take it as is.
The pilot can give MTV a solid idea of the premise and execution of the story but they’ll likely re-cast and re-shoot since a commitment to broadcast would take MONTHS.
Also, I’m not sure why folks are saying MTV doesn’t have the budget for this. The fx here are basically a few ghost images, glowing doors, etc. This isn’t like they’re trying to adapt Teen Titans. G4 did a Blade series and I imagine the fight sequences, extras and fx there would be more costly. L&K is essentially a drama with genre elements.
I think it’s a great tv concept and I hope some network picks it up.
The content in that trailer was not very exciting.
Why?
this show is not mtv normal material surprise they are even interested in it when it belonged at sci fi or amc . though guess maybe mtv has finaly figured out it can not survive on just jersey shore and teen moms alone any more. hope they find some way to bring this show to reality finaly
I think it’d be a good step for mtv. I am one that is not a fan of shows on mtv, but I saw the pilot of locke and key at comic con and I would be watching mtv for this show…im sure there are a few hundred out there that feel the same, so they would up their viewers, maybe even for the other shows they air as well.