Mark Romanek Set to Direct LOCK & KEY TV Series

Fox has hired the highly acclaimed filmmaker Mark Romanek to direct the small screen adaptation of Joe Hill's graphic novel Locke & Key. He is currently in talks to take on the pilot episode for the series. The story follows Nina Locke and her three children as they move to Keyhouse, the family home in Lovecraft, MA to recover from an unspeakable horror.  Keyhouse is a mysterious New England mansion with fantastic and transformative keys that are hidden inside its walls. The keys are being are being sought after by a sinister and relentless creature with ties to the family's past who will stop at nothing to accomplish its goals.  

The series is being produced by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci.  Josh Friedman (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, War of the Worlds) is writing the script. Romanek makes a great addition to this creative team, and I'm excited to see how this series ends up. A story like this has so much potential to become a successful TV series. 

For those of you not familiar with Romanek, there's no doubt most of you already know his work. He's directed several music videos in his career that include Nine Inch Nails’ Closer, Michael Jackson’s Scream,  Johnny Cash’s cover of Nine Inch Nails’ Hurt, Janet Jackson’s Got ‘Til It’s Gone, En Vogue’s Free Your Mind, Lenny Kravitz’s Are You Gonna Go My Way, Beck’s Devil’s Haircut, Jay-Z’s 99 Problems and Fiona Apple’s Criminal.

A for as films go he directed the 2002 Robin William's film One Hour Photo, and most recently developed the film adaptation of the novel Never let me Go. 

Here is the official synopsis from the publisher:

Locke & Key tells of Keyhouse, an unlikely New England mansion, with fantastic doors that transform all who dare to walk through them…. and home to a hate-filled and relentless creature that will not rest until it forces open the most terrible door of them all…! Acclaimed suspense novelist and New York Times best-selling author Joe Hill (Heart-Shaped Box) creates an all-new story of dark fantasy and wonder, with astounding artwork from Gabriel Rodriguez. Hill has received the Bram Stoker Award for Best Fiction Collection, the British Fantasy Award for Best Collection and Best Short Story, and the Sydney J. Bounds Best Newcomer Award-2007, among his growing collection of critical accolades.

Locke & Key was nominated for Best Limited Series and Joe Hill was nominated for Best Writer at the 2009 Eisner Awards. Check out the trailer for the graphic novel below.