Hulu’s adaptation of the comedic horror comic book series ‘Locke & Key’ just got a lethal dose of star power. Danny Glover, best known for his role as Sgt. Roger Murtaugh in the ‘Lethal Weapon’ film series has joined in the role of eccentric English professor Joe Ridgeway.
Ridgeway is a teacher at Matheson Academy in Lovecraft, Massachusetts, where the Locke ancestral home rests. After the death of her husband Rendell Locke, Nina (Frances O’Connor, ‘The Conjuring 2’) relocates to this mysterious manor with her three kids Tyler (Jack Mulhern), Kinsey (Megan Charpentier, ‘It’) and Bode (Jackson Robert Scott, also from ‘It’). While Ridgeway becomes a mentor to the Locke children and a friend to Nina, he knows some secrets that Rendell kept hidden from his family.
Glover is not as a series regular, so beyond the pilot, it’s unclear how often he will be seen… or whether or not he will turn up again at all. The character of Joe Ridgeway is fairly small, but important in the original comic book story, so Glover will likely return to play out that storyline, but of course, the show could shuffle things or change them outright. So the extent of Glover’s involvement remains to be seen.
While most known for his film work, Glover has done extensive work in television over the years, on series such as ‘E.R.’, ‘Brothers and Sisters’ and ‘Touch’ and he served as the narrator of ‘Cold Case Files’.
Apart from Glover, the role of Tyler Locke going to Mulhern is the most recent announcement. Mulhern has only one other credit to his name, the 1998 indie film ‘Walk to the Waterline’ which was written and directed by and starred his father Matt Mulhern. Jack played his father’s character’s son. (The film also starred Matthew Broderick and Alan Ruck, a.k.a. Ferris Bueller and his sidekick Cameron.) This is his first role since graduating college. In the comics, Tyler is the oldest of the three Locke sibling and is a protective older brother attempting to fill the role of man of the house following Rendell’s violent death. Things get complicated when the kids discover their ancestral home is supernatural in nature with an assortment of powerful keys, which make them the target of evil forces.
In addition, the cast includes Nate Corddry as Duncan, Rendell’s younger brother. Carlton Cuse (‘Lost’, ‘Bates Motel’, ‘The Strain’) and comic book creator Joe Hill are writing the script. ‘It”s Andy Muscietti is directing the pilot. (The two younger Locke children appeared in ‘It’. Megan Charpentier had the small role as Greta, while Jackson Robert Scott had the more important role as Georgie.) Muscietti and his sister Barbara are executive producing along with Cuse, Ted Adams, David Alpert, Rick Jacobs and David Ozer.
How does this series seem to be shaping up to you?
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
