THE LOCKE-SMITHS
Starburst Magazine|February 2020
WITH THE ADAPTATION OF JOE HILL’S ACCLAIMED COMIC BOOK LOCKE & KEY ABOUT TO HIT SCREENS COURTESY OF NETFLIX, WE TALK WITH SHOWRUNNERS/WRITERS CARLTON CUSE AND MEREDITH AVERILL TO UNCOVER JUST HOW THEIR COLLABORATION BROUGHT THIS MAGICAL STORY TO LIFE…
Andrew Dex
THE LOCKE-SMITHS

STARBURST: How did you both end up becoming involved with Locke & Key?

Carlton Carlton: Locke & Key had a long development history, dating all the way back to 2008 when the comics were published. A Network TV pilot was made a bunch of years ago with other writers and producers. Eventually, the rights reverted back to Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez. I’d always been a huge fan of the comic.

Basically, Joe and I got together and decided that it was the next step. We would work on it together, and try to figure out how to actually get it to a place where it gets made. Joe and I collaborated on a new pilot, and that got a lot of interest. It rekindled the development process. It was still a long and winding process, and it went through a bunch of different iterations. It then moved companies, and ended up, ultimately, at Netflix. At that moment in time, we got the really great fortune of adding Meredith to the team. So then Meredith and I started from fresh and built a new version of the show that we both liked, and also it was something that Netflix was excited about. I think we cracked the code in regards to what it takes to make Locke & Key a television show. Whenever you’re creating something it never seems like it should be hard, or as hard as it is. However, it always is hard. For this one, in particular, figuring out how to translate all of the amazing elements to the screen was tricky, but I feel like we got there. What we have is something that we are incredibly excited about. It represents an addition and extension to the work. It’s very entertaining while also remaining true to Joe’s comic.

What was it about the concept that really attracted you?

This story is from the February 2020 edition of Starburst Magazine.

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This story is from the February 2020 edition of Starburst Magazine.

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