Posted in: Netflix, Preview, streaming, TV | Tagged: bleeding cool, bode, cable, coby bird, comic books, Comics, Darby Stanchfield, gabriel rodriguez, idw, joe hill, Kinsey, Locke & Key, Meredith Averill, netflix, ryan Bodenheim, streaming, television, tv, tyler

"Locke & Key": Coby Bird Brings Writers' Room Some Holiday Cheer

While shows such as Netflix's The Umbrella Academy and Amazon Prime's The Boys having already gotten a ton of (well-deserved) attention, we're happy to be turning our attention to Netflix's upcoming adaptation of Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez's comic book Locke & Key.

Originally Hulu-bound, the ten-episode, supernatural-fantasy drama from Hill, Carlton Cuse, and IDW Entertainment went through some changes since switching streamers – and last week, the streamer revealed a premiere date for the series (Friday, February 7) as well as the first poster and official logline for the adaptation (more on that below).

Now, writer/executive producer/co-showrunner Meredith Averill is sharing an example of the holiday cheer going on behind the scenes. This time, it's a look at Coby Bird's Santa hat-sportin' visit to the show's writers' room – a move that was definitely appreciated… followed by Bird showing appreciation for their appreciation in his follow-up tweet:

Those of us curious about the upcoming series got a formal welcome to Keyhouse last week, in the form of preview images that did an amazing job of establishing the house as a major character in the series. While the first image offers a sense of "size perspective", the second image offers a comparison of Keyhouses – between screen and page:

After their father is murdered under mysterious circumstances, the three Locke siblings and their mother move into their ancestral home, Keyhouse, which they discover is full of magical keys that may be connected to their father's death. As the Locke children explore the different keys and their unique powers, a mysterious demon awakens — and will stop at nothing to steal them.

One person who's done an excellent job of keeping fans up-to-speed on the personal, behind-the-scenes aspects of filming is actress Darby Stanchfield (Scandal), otherwise known as family head Nina Locke.

After a traumatic home attack, Stanchfield's Nina moves her family across the country to Keyhouse for a fresh start — and also to solve the mystery surrounding her late husband Rendell's murder. She struggles with her new role as a single mom, as Rendell was always more the traditional parent type. She's much more comfortable as an artist and house renovator.

Stanchfield has proven a one-woman social media public relations machine, with a strong "Instagram fu" for offering fans updates. Just two weeks ago, she shared her thoughts on the show's writing team after lunch and a group photo that includes Cuse, Michael D. Fuller, Vanessa Rojas, Meredith Averill, Liz Phang, and Lindsey Springer:

View this post on Instagram.

Netflix's adaptation of the horror/fantasy comic book series focuses on the Locke siblings – Kinsey (Jones), Tyler (American Crime's Connor Jessup), and Bode (It's Jackson Robert Scott) – who move to their ancestral home in Massachusetts after the gruesome murder of their father, only to find the house has magical keys that give them a vast array of powers and abilities. Standing in their way is a devious demon who also wants the keys and will stop at nothing to attain them.

Petrice Jones' (Step Up: High Water) Scot is a massive horror movie nerd and ringleader of the "Savini Squad" – a group of teen misfits named for famed special effects artist Tom Savini – who becomes Kinsey Locke's first friend at the Academy.

Thomas Mitchell Barnet's (Saving Hope) Sam Lesser is a troubled, sensitive young man who longs for a connection and will go to desperate lengths to find one. His vulnerability makes him an easy target for Dodge's manipulation.

Laysla De Oliveira's Dodge is a beautiful, unpredictable and sinister demon in human form that torments the Locke family.

Kevin Alves' Javi is the colorful life of the party who doesn't take life too seriously – doing his best to try to persuade new friend Tyler Locke to do the same.

Asha Bromfield's (Riverdale) Zadie is a spunky horror nerd and the lone female member of the "Savini Squad" – that is, until Kinsey Locke arrives at Matheson Academy.

Griffin Gluck's (American Vandal) Gabe is a new boarding student at Matheson Academy who befriends Kinsey Locke.

Steven Williams' (The Chi, The X-Files) Joe Ridgeway, an esteemed teacher at Matheson Academy who connects with the newly arrived Locke family and who might be in for much more than he was expecting.

Felix Mallard's (Happy Together) Lucas Caravaggio is a charming teenager in the town of Matheson whose exposure to magic leads to serious complications.

Coby Bird's (The Good Doctor) Rufus Whedon is the son of Ellie Whedon, and a friend of Bode Locke. He has an unspecified mental disorder that causes him to be affected by the Keys in different ways than others.

Hill and Cuse are joined on the Locke & Key creative team by Aron Eli Coleite and Meredith Averill. The first episode is written by Hill and Coleite, and Cuse and Averill will serve as showrunners. Michael Morris (Better Call Saul, Preacher) has been tapped to direct the first two episodes. It's Andy Muschietti and Cuse will serve as executive producers, alongside with Barbara Muschietti, Hill, Averill, Coleite and Morris. Genre Arts' Lindsey Springer, IDW Entertainment's Ted Adams, and David Alpert and Rick Jacobs via Circle of Confusion will also executive produce.

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