While Mark Romanek figures out what film he’ll tackle next following “Never Let Me Go,” the director will follow the in the footsteps that many auteurs seem to be making these days, and will direct a pilot for Fox. Update: Deadline also says that “Lord Of The Rings” Aussie actress Miranda Otto has joined the cast in the lead role. It’s a project from producers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, better known as the superstar writing duo behind projects like “Star Trek,” “Transformers” and “Cowboys And Aliens.”
Deadline reports that Romanek is in negotiations to direct the inaugural episode of the comic adaptation “Locke & Key.” With a script from Josh Friedman (“War Of The Worlds,” “The Black Dahlia“), Bleeding Cool (who are big fans of the comic) explain that, “the series starts when the Locke family, recently bereaved of their father, move to Keyhouse, a mysterious mansion in which every door leads to a different place, either in this world or another, and around which some curious, magical keys are to be found. There are ghosts and creaky floorboards and huge, ambitious story arcs, lots of echoes and shadows and strong feeling that what you’re reading is Story with a capital S.”
Certainly, it sounds like it will give Romanek to chance to exercise some of the gothic horror muscles he developed on “The Wolfman” before exiting the project. Regardless of what you think of his films, Romanek is a master visualist and working within the milieu presented with “Locke & Key” sounds very promising.
No word on when the series might be seen on TVs, but the fall 2011 season seems like a safe bet. As for feature films, Romanek most recently spoke about his desire to bring “A Cold Case,” a gestating true crime film with Tom Hanks, to the big screen. That film hit some stumbling blocks regarding life rights and it still might be a way off — Romanek pretty much has to wait for the killer in the film to die before they can move forward. He’s also got the dark comedy “A Parking Ticket” with Ben Stiller attached as possible project, as well as an unknown project fifteen years in the making that recently had an unnamed screenwriter and two actors attached. Anyway, lots of options for the helmer and we’re just glad we won’t have to wait eight years for his next effort.