While tonally geared toward a younger crowd, Netflix’s original series Locke & Key is a pretty faithful adaptation of the Joe Hill comic series on which it’s based. The show is about a family relocating to Key House, the ancestral home of their fallen father, only to discover a collection of hidden keys that hold specific magical powers.
When the three children of the family learn a wicked demon wants the keys for itself, they must band together, ward off the evil, and prevent the odious beast from obtaining the keys. Of course, it’s much easier said than done. Regardless of where you are in the series, here are ten things you didn’t know about Netflix’s Locke and Key.
Daybreak Connection
This may be an odd question to begin with, but have you seen the Netflix horror/comedy series Daybreak? Did you have any clue it’s creator also contributed to the opening of Locke & Key?!
Indeed, Daybreak creator Aron Eli Coleite co-wrote the pilot-episode of Locke & Key with Joe Hill. It makes sense, as both shows target the younger, teenage crowd with bits of adolescent humor to accompany the violent outbursts. As a producer on the show as well, Coleite is also credited with developing story beats for all 10 episodes.
Sets
While the show as a whole has garnered mixed-reviews, one unimpeachable aspect of the production is the gorgeous setting of the ancient Key House mansion. But do you have an idea of how it was created?
Well, we’ll have you know that the entire mansion, both interior, and exterior, was built entirely from scratch by Netflix. That’s right. The house is not a real location that the production team scouted, nor is it not a partially built house. No, Netflix took the exact specs of Hill’s comic series and fabricated the manse down to every specific detail.
The Lost Connection
Have you Locke & Key fans noticed any similarities with the show Lost? Well, in addition to both shows being run by Carlton Cuse, there’s even another piece of connective tissue between both mystery series.
It’s the Whispers! One aspect of the Locke & Key story concerns spooky whispering throughout the house that allows the children to locate certain keys. Well, if you recall your Lost knowledge, you’ll remember these whispers are also a key plot contrivance of Cuse’s show island-set mystery.
Original Setting
This may be a detail only the faithful comic readers may have noticed. But in the original comic, Key House was situated in a town called Lovecraft, Massachusetts. Do you have any clue why it was altered in the TV series?
The answer is simple. Joe Hill wanted to pay homage to another classic horror writer. In the comics, Hill paid tribute to H.P. Lovecraft by locating Key House in a town bearing his namesake. But in the show, Hill changed the place to Matheson, Massachusetts to honor horror scribe and fellow screenwriter Richard Matheson. Pretty cool!
Hulu
If you didn’t already know, Netflix owes Hulu a major thank you. That’s because Locke & Key was originally shot specifically for Hulu, which decided to pass on the pilot episode. What the heck were you thinking, Hulu?!
As a result, Netflix scooped up the project almost immediately. Perhaps Hulu felt that with the adaptation of Stephen King’s Castle Rock, they had all the King-related horror they could stomach. But keeping it all in the family with Joe Hill, Stephen King’s son, might have been a wiser move.
Third Attempt
Believe it or not, Locke & Key has been attempted twice before on the big and small screen. In 2010, Fox attempted to adapt the series but failed to order a full slate after passing on the pilot episode. The episode still aired at the 2011 Comic-Con!
In 2014, Universal tried to adapt the comic series as a feature film trilogy, but it too fell apart after proving too ambitious to make. Finally, 10 years later, Netflix jumped on the pilot episode passed-on by Hulu and gave the show a 10-episode order. All good things, right?
Uncle Duncan/Aaron Ashmore
Did you know that the character of Uncle Duncan was originally named Uncle Rufus? Well, that’s not even half of it!
Back when Fox optioned to adapt the comic series to the small screen, Canadian actor Aaron Ashmore was cast as Uncle Rufus. Somehow, miraculously, Ashmore remained onboard a decade later through all of the various production iterations of the property. He even survived the character’s name change from Rufus to Duncan.
Savini
One of the coolest aspects of the series is its loving shout-out to gore master and hall of fame FX wizard Tom Savini. When Kinsey joins the filmmaking crew at school, they refer to themselves as The Savinis. So how many of you actually caught the cameo of the man, the myth, and the legend!
During episode 2, Trapper/Keeper, Savini makes a fun cameo appearance as the hardware store clerk. He pokes cheeky fun at his own image, while the show bows in reverence to his legendary status in the horror genre.
Recasting
Given the excellent performances of Emilia Jones and Kinsey and Connor Jessup as Tyler, it’s almost impossible to think of anyone else in the roles. But before moving to Netflix, that was precisely the plan!
Once moving from Hulu to Netflix, the entire ensemble was recast. Only Jackson Robert Scott as Bode was retained from the original cast. Originally, Frances O’Connor was set to play Nina Locke, with Megan Carpentier and Nate Corddry cast in major roles. Danny Glover and Owen Teague were also attached to play roles at one point.
Season 2
Although Netflix has not yet officially greenlighted a second season, it has been reported that writers of the series have already begun brainstorming ideas for a follow-up. Who wants to see more Locke & Key moving forward?!
Of course, demand will ultimately dictate whether or not a second season will be produced. The reporting suggests the writers began conjuring new story ideas a week prior to the release of the show on Netflix. If the show garners enough eyeballs, Netflix will surely try to repeat the success. If the show falls flat, you can expect the Locke to be thrown away for good.
