Locke and Key writer Joe Hill tells the story behind the show&#039;s failed first adaptation and how it lead to the making of Black Phone.

Joe Hill Reveals How a Failed Hulu Adaptation of ‘Locke and Key’ Led to Making the &#8216;Black Phone&#8217;

Season 3 of Locke and Key was released earlier this month. It was the final
season of the show, based on author Joe Hill’s comic with the same name,
published by IDW Publishing. The first part of this comic series came out in the
year 2008. This 37-part comic was concluded in the year 2013. Later on, in the
year 2020, this comic series was adapted into a show by Netflix. The series
received mixed reviews from critics. Some praised how it handled complex
subjects like trauma and loss, while others criticized the adolescent drama and
romantic subplots.

[data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==]

But did you know the show had quite a history before landing on Netflix? Let’s
dig deeper!


HULU FIRST PRODUCED LOCKE AND KEY

Before Netflix’s 2020 series, IDW made many efforts to bring Locke and Key
[https://netflixjunkie.com/tag/locke-and-key/] to television. The pilot episode
was produced in 2011 on 20th Century Fox Television, which Dreamworks TV
distributed. The pilot episode had its world premiere at the 2011 San Diego
Comic-Con International. Despite this, Fox ultimately opted not to give the show
the green light, citing the show’s “dark nature
[https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-this-does-not-look-good-a-sneak-peek-into-frederick-gideons-horrifying-origin-from-locke-and-key/].”
Hulu ordered a pilot for Locke and Key in 2017, with Joe Hill
[https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-7-joe-hill-titles-you-should-definitely-checkout-if-you-love-his-locke-and-key-on-netflix/]
and Carlton Cuse as showrunners and Scott Derrickson as director. Here’s the
trailer of the pilot episode produced by Hulu.



Derrickson had to leave due to a schedule difficulty, and Andy Muschietti was
brought in to take over. Moving forward, in the year 2018, Hulu finally gave up
on the series. They didn’t see much potential in adapting the comics and hence,
gave up. This is when Netflix came into the picture and picked up the show. It
took the platform and makers 2 years to bring it to our screens. But finally,
the show was released in the year 2020.

ALSO READ: What is The Creation Key In ‘Locke and Key’ Season 3? Can It Make
Anything Come To Reality?
[https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-originals-what-is-the-creation-key-in-locke-and-key-season-3-can-it-make-anything-come-to-reality/]


THE STORY BEHIND THE MAKING OF BLACK PHONE

Joe Hill spoke about his experience on Locke and Key, the first project on which
he and Derrickson had worked together. The show had already faced rejections
from two platforms. When Netflix finally took over, Hill said that he thought
Derrickson would be directing the project. But Derrickson had to give up despite
of his extraordinary emotional investment in the Hulu series.



Hill was disappointed about Derrickson’s lack of involvement due to the
friendship the two formed over the course of Locke and Key development for Hulu.
However, the two came to collaborate once again in Universal’s recent release,
Black Phone, which was adapted from a short tale by Hill.

“The Black Phone, in a lot of ways, was our makeup call, and it was just such a
blast. Who gets to do that? I got to make a film, two of my really good friends
made a great film on one of my stories. How wild is that?” shared
[https://screenrant.com/locke-key-failed-hulu-show-joe-hill-response/] Hill with
Screen Rant.



At present, Derrickson is set to direct Skydance’s The Gorge. Thus, his work
with Hill will likely be put on hold for the time being and there may not be
more of the Locke family going forward, owing to its cancelation
[https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-originals-why-is-netflix-not-giving-a-season-4-to-locke-and-key-even-after-the-show-having-great-potential/].
Fans of Locke and Key will have to make do with repeat viewings for the time
being, but another collaboration between Hill and Derrickson is almost probably
in the works.

ALSO READ: How Did Dodge Return and What Does She Want From the Lockes in ‘Locke
and Key’ Season 3?
[https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-how-did-dodge-return-and-what-does-she-want-from-the-lockes-in-locke-and-key-season-3/]

Have you watched [https://www.netflix.com/in/title/80241239] the season finale
of Locke and Key? If not, watch it now only on Netflix!

Radhika Deshmukh

Comment

Joe Hill Reveals How a Failed Hulu Adaptation of ‘Locke and Key’ Led to Making the &#8216;Black Phone&#8217; - Netflix Junkie

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Radhika Deshmukh is a Hollywood and Netflix News writer at Netflix Junkie. As a passionate film and theater enthusiast, Radhika found her calling in entertainment reporting. Her love for cinema and television motivated her to intern as a news writer at Dainik Bhaskar, where she honed her skills in factual reporting. Her report on Sydney Sweeney Reveals How Her ‘Family’s Financial Struggles’ Impacted Her Decisions reflects her ability to uncover the personal stories of celebrities that fans crave. With over 600 articles on Netflix Junkie, Radhika continues to express her love for TV shows and films, and she hopes to write 600 more. When she is not busy with a theater production, you will find her revisiting some of her favorites like Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Sherlock, and How I Met Your Mother.

https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-joe-hill-reveals-how-a-faild-hulu-adaptation-of-locke-and-key-led-to-making-the-black-phone

Joe Hill Reveals How a Failed Hulu Adaptation of ‘Locke and Key’ Led to Making the &#8216;Black Phone&#8217; - netflix-junkie

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Season 3 of Locke and Key was released earlier this month. It was the final season of the show, based on author Joe Hill&#8217;s comic with the same name, published by IDW Publishing. The first part of this comic series came out in the year 2008. This 37-part comic was concluded in the year 2013. Later on, in the year 2020, this comic series was adapted into a show by Netflix. The series received mixed reviews from critics. Some praised how it handled complex subjects like trauma and loss, while others criticized the adolescent drama and romantic subplots.
<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-9757 size-full lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" data-src="https://netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/l-intro-1635277677.jpg" alt="" width="1600" height="900" data-sizes="auto" data-srcset="https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/l-intro-1635277677.jpg 1600w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/l-intro-1635277677-300x169.jpg 300w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/l-intro-1635277677-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/l-intro-1635277677-768x432.jpg 768w, https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/l-intro-1635277677-1536x864.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px" />
But did you know the show had quite a history before landing on Netflix? Let&#8217;s dig deeper!
<h2>Hulu first produced Locke and Key</h2>
Before Netflix&#8217;s 2020 series, IDW made many efforts to bring <a href="https://netflixjunkie.com/tag/locke-and-key/">Locke and Key</a> to television. The pilot episode was produced in 2011 on 20th Century Fox Television, which Dreamworks TV distributed. The pilot episode had its world premiere at the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con International. Despite this, Fox ultimately opted not to give the show the green light, citing the show&#8217;s &#8220;<a href="https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-this-does-not-look-good-a-sneak-peek-into-frederick-gideons-horrifying-origin-from-locke-and-key/">dark nature</a>.&#8221; Hulu ordered a pilot for Locke and Key in 2017, with <a href="https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-7-joe-hill-titles-you-should-definitely-checkout-if-you-love-his-locke-and-key-on-netflix/">Joe Hill</a> and Carlton Cuse as showrunners and Scott Derrickson as director. Here&#8217;s the trailer of the pilot episode produced by Hulu.
<div class="flex-video widescreen youtube"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Locke And Key Official Trailer 2011" width="1170" height="658" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/r_KmKC5K8QU?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
Derrickson had to leave due to a schedule difficulty, and Andy Muschietti was brought in to take over. Moving forward, in the year 2018, Hulu finally gave up on the series. They didn&#8217;t see much potential in adapting the comics and hence, gave up. This is when Netflix came into the picture and picked up the show. It took the platform and makers 2 years to bring it to our screens. But finally, the show was released in the year 2020.
ALSO READ: <a href="https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-originals-what-is-the-creation-key-in-locke-and-key-season-3-can-it-make-anything-come-to-reality/" rel="bookmark">What is The Creation Key In &#8216;Locke and Key&#8217; Season 3? Can It Make Anything Come To Reality?</a>
<h2>The story behind the making of Black Phone</h2>
Joe Hill spoke about his experience on Locke and Key, the first project on which he and Derrickson had worked together. The show had already faced rejections from two platforms. When Netflix finally took over, Hill said that he thought Derrickson would be directing the project. But Derrickson had to give up despite of his extraordinary emotional investment in the Hulu series.
<div class="flex-video widescreen youtube"><iframe loading="lazy" title="The Black Phone - Official Trailer" width="1170" height="658" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3eGP6im8AZA?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
Hill was disappointed about Derrickson&#8217;s lack of involvement due to the friendship the two formed over the course of Locke and Key development for Hulu. However, the two came to collaborate once again in Universal&#8217;s recent release, Black Phone, which was adapted from a short tale by Hill.
&#8220;The Black Phone, in a lot of ways, was our makeup call, and it was just such a blast. Who gets to do that? I got to make a film, two of my really good friends made a great film on one of my stories. How wild is that?&#8221; <a href="https://screenrant.com/locke-key-failed-hulu-show-joe-hill-response/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shared</a> Hill with Screen Rant.
<div class="flex-video widescreen youtube"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Locke &amp; Key 3 | Final Season Trailer | Netflix" width="1170" height="658" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PX-t1wYNtBs?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
At present, Derrickson is set to direct Skydance&#8217;s The Gorge. Thus, his work with Hill will likely be put on hold for the time being and there may not be more of the Locke family going forward, <a href="https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-originals-why-is-netflix-not-giving-a-season-4-to-locke-and-key-even-after-the-show-having-great-potential/">owing to its cancelation</a>. Fans of Locke and Key will have to make do with repeat viewings for the time being, but another collaboration between Hill and Derrickson is almost probably in the works.
ALSO READ: <a href="https://netflixjunkie.com/netflix-news-how-did-dodge-return-and-what-does-she-want-from-the-lockes-in-locke-and-key-season-3/" rel="bookmark">How Did Dodge Return and What Does She Want From the Lockes in &#8216;Locke and Key&#8217; Season 3?</a>
Have you <a href="https://www.netflix.com/in/title/80241239" target="_blank" rel="noopener">watched</a> the season finale of Locke and Key? If not, watch it now only on Netflix!

How Did Dodge Return and What Does She Want From the Lockes in ‘Locke and Key’
Season 3?

What is The Creation Key In ‘Locke and Key’ Season 3? Can It Make Anything Come
To Reality?

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https://www.staging.netflixjunkie.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/locke-and-key-1.jpg

Locke and Key writer Joe Hill tells the story behind the show's failed first adaptation and how it lead to the making of Black Phone.

Joe Hill Reveals How a Failed Hulu Adaptation of ‘Locke and Key’ Led to Making the 'Black Phone' - Netflix Junkie

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Joe Hill Reveals How a Failed Hulu Adaptation of ‘Locke and Key’ Led to Making the &#039;Black Phone&#039; - Netflix Junkie

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Joe Hill Reveals How a Failed Hulu Adaptation of ‘Locke and Key’ Led to Making the ‘Black Phone’

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