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Hulu Passes On “Locke & Key” (Excuse Me While I Punch a Wall)

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One of my favorite modern comics is Joe Hill‘s breathtaking horror-themed “Locke & Key”, which is rich in characters and mythology. It’s been a no-brainer for the small-screen since Fox Television tapped the great Mark Romanek to direct a pilot way back in 2011. The debut episode was shown to a San Diego Comic-Con audience before Fox decided not to move forward with the series.

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Last year, Hulu came to the rescue with plans to unlock the series with It director Andy Muschetti at the helm, which sounded as if there were no way in hell they’d close the door on that opportunity. Well, they did, at least according to actress Samantha Mathis who tells Cultured Vultures that Hulu has passed on the series.

“I did a pilot for Hulu called ‘Locke & Key’ but it didn’t get picked up by Hulu,” she told them. “It’s getting shopped around to Amazon and Netflix and Apple and everyone right now. Who knows, maybe that will end up some place.”

Excuse me while I punch a wall in frustration.

“Locke & Key” is an adaptation of the IDW comic by Joe Hill and artist Gabriel Rodriguez. Written by Hill and directed by Muschietti, “Locke & Key” revolves around three siblings who, after the gruesome murder of their father, move to their ancestral home in Maine with their mother Nina (Frances O’Connor) only to find the house has magical keys that give them a vast array of powers and abilities. Little do they know, a devious demon also wants the keys, and will stop at nothing to attain them.

Actor Owen Teague (IT, “Bloodline”) was to play the role of Sam Lesser, a violent and deeply troubled adolescent who kills his own father and then goes on the Locke house and shoots the Locke kids father to death, in addition to battering their mother. Teague was the third actor from It to sign on to the horror-fantasy drama, joining Jackson Robert Scott and Megan Charpentier. The pilot also stars Jack Mulhern and Danny Glover.

Horror movie fanatic who co-founded Bloody Disgusting in 2001. Producer on Southbound, V/H/S/2/3/94, SiREN, Under the Bed, and A Horrible Way to Die. Chicago-based. Horror, pizza and basketball connoisseur. Taco Bell daily. Franchise favs: Hellraiser, Child's Play, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, Scream and Friday the 13th. Horror 365 days a year.

Comics

‘Witchblade’ is Getting Resurrected This Summer in New Comic Series from Top Cow and Image Comics

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Witchblade cover

Witchblade, the popular comic series that initially ran from 1995 to 2015 and launched a TV series, is getting resurrected in a new comic series from Top Cow and Image Comics. It’s set to unleash heavy metal, black magic and blood this summer.

Look for the new Witchblade series to launch on July 17, 2024.

In Witchblade #1, “New York City Police Detective Sara Pezzini’s life was forever fractured by her father’s murder. Cold, cunning, and hellbent on revenge, Sara now stalks a vicious criminal cabal beneath the city, where an ancient power collides and transforms her into something wild, magnificent, and beyond her darkest imaginings. How will Sara use this ancient power, or will she be consumed by it?”

The series is penned by NYT Best-Selling writer Marguerite Bennett (AnimosityBatwomanDC Bombshells) and visualized by artist Giuseppe Cafaro (Suicide SquadPower RangersRed Sonja). The creative duo is working with original co-creator Marc Silvestri, who is the CEO of Top Cow Productions Inc. and one of the founders of Image Comics. They are set to reintroduce the series to Witchblade’s enduring fans with “a reimagined origin with contemporary takes on familiar characters and new story arcs that will hook new readers and rekindle the energy and excitement that fueled the 90’s Image Revolution that shaped generations of top creators.”

Bennett said in a statement, “The ability to tell a ferocious story full of monsters, sexuality, vision, and history was irresistible.” She adds, “Our saga is sleek, vicious, ferocious, and has a lot to say about power in the 21st century and will be the first time that we are stopping the roller coaster to let more people on. I’ve loved Witchblade since I was a child, and there is truly no other heroine like Sara with such an iconic legacy and such a rich, brutal relationship to her own body.”

“The Witchblade universe is being modernized to reflect how Marguerite beautifully explores the extreme sides of Sara through memories, her personal thoughts, like desire and hunger, in her solitude and when she is possessed by the Witchblade. So, I had to visually intersect a noir True Detective-like world with a supernatural, horror world that is a fantastic mix between Berserk and Zodiac,” Cafaro stated.

Marc Silvestri notes, “This is brand new mythology around Sara, and I can’t wait for you to fall in love with her and all the twists and turns. Discover Witchblade reimagined this summer, and join us as we bring all the fun of the 90s to the modern age and see how exciting comics can be. I can’t wait for you to read this new series.”

Witchblade#1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, July 17th, for $4.99 for 48 pages. And it’ll come with multiple cover variants.

  • Cover A: Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto (Full Color)

  • Cover B: Giuseppe Cafaro and Arif Prianto (Full Color)

  • Cover C: Blank Sketch Cover

  • Cover D (1/10): Dani and Brad Simpson (Full Color)

  • Cover E (1/25): Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto, Virgin Cover (Full Color)

  • Cover F (1/50): J.Scott Campbell (Full Color)

  • Cover G (1/100): Bill Sienkiewicz. (Full Color)

  • Cover H (1/250): Line art by Marc. Virgin Cover, Inks (B/W)

Witchblade #1 will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.

Witchblade comic panel Witchblade #1 cover image

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