Locke and Key season 2 is fast approaching and, finally, we have an official release date to look forward to. Not only that, but a first teaser trailer for the supernatural horror show has arrived, too.
The next instalment in Netflix's adaptation of Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodríguez's comic series will hit the streamer on Friday, October 22. So now is the perfect time to binge watch season 1 if you haven't caught it yet.
The show's first season did an excellent job of being one of the more intriguing horror series on Netflix. That means that expectations for season 2 have been raised, but we're confident that it'll continue to pull in viewers based on its magical keys and abilities, creepy villains and interesting subplots.
With Locke and Key season 2 arriving before Halloween, you'll want to know everything worth knowing about the next instalment. Below, you'll find more information on its launch date, cast members, possible story threads and more.
Spoilers follow for season 1 and the comics, so turn back if you're not caught up or don't want things spoiled for you.
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Locke and Key season 2 release date: October 22
Locke and Key season 2 will arrive on Friday, October 22. The launch date of the show's next season was revealed alongside its first trailer, which you can see below.
Before that, season 2's October launch window was revealed on Day 2 of Netflix Geeked Week in June, as well as a bunch of accompanying images:
What secrets will the keys unlocke next? Here's your first look at Locke & Key season 2, coming in October! #GeekedWeek pic.twitter.com/CliEjIl42HJune 8, 2021
Locke and Key season 2 trailer: watch the first footage
The first teaser for Locke and Key season 2 landed online on Tuesday, September 14.
Season 2's first trailer teases new threats that the Locke family will have to deal with, including the creation of a new key that may unleash more supernatural monsters for the siblings to fight off.
We won't spoil the rest of the teaser trailer's content, but feel free to watch it (above) as many times as you like.
Locke and Key season 2 cast: who is returning from season 1?
We would expect all of season 1's major players to return for Locke and Key's next instalment:
- Darby Stanchfield as Nina Locke
- Connor Jessup as Tyler Locke
- Emilia Jones as Kinsey Locke
- Jackson Robert Scott as Bode Locke
- Griffin Gluck as Gabe
- Laysla De Oliveira as Dodge
- Petrice Jones as Scot Cavendish
- Genevieve Kang as Jackie Veda
Spoilers follow for Locke and Key season 1.
There are other cast members who could also return. Bill Heck, who portrays the Locke family's dead father, should reprise his role for a few episodes (or scenes). An Instagram image from Stanchfield, on the set of season 2, seemingly revealed as much so fingers crossed he'll show up at some point.
Cody Bird may be back as Rufus Whedon, even though he was sent to live with his aunt and uncle in Nebraska at the end of season 1. He was injured in the season 1 finale, but we suspect he could come back in a cameo appearance if it's deemed necessary. The same could be said of Ellie (Sherrie Saum), but that's dependent on whether the siblings can bring her back after she was sent through the Omega Door in season 1's final episode.
Meanwhile, two of season 1's guest stars have been bumped up to season 2 regulars. Aaron Ashmore and Hallea Jones, who played Duncan Locke and Eden Hawkins, will feature more prominently this season.
As someone with experience of the keys, Duncan will help the Locke family to uncover more secrets (and powers) behind them. Eden, meanwhile, was possessed by a demonic bullet in season 1's finale, so we expect her to be a secondary antagonist to Gabe/Dodge.
Finally, The Tick alumnus Brendan Hines has joined as a series regular. Per Deadline, Hines will play Matheson Academy's new history teacher Josh Bennett. Liyou Abere (The Boys, Mrs. America) has also been brought on board in a guest star role. She'll play a new friend of Bode's called Amie Bennet, and help the Lockes in their fight against Dodge.
Locke and Key season 2 story: what's going to happen next?
The story is set to pick up where the end of the first season left off.
The Locke family has been outsmarted by the demon, who took on the form of Dodge, Lucas, and Gabe in the first season. Not only must the Locke family deal with the fact that they've been tricked by the demon into throwing Ellie into the void beyond the Omega Door, it seems like Eden may be controlled by the demon now, too.
Elsewhere, expect a lot more doors, keys, and demons. An Instagram post from actor Connor Jessup teased what other keys we may see in season 2 but, for fear of spoilers, covered up the new keys that'll make an appearance:
There are other elements from the comics that could crop up as well but, when it comes to adapting the source material, Hill and Rodríguez aren't shy about making changes.
"It has to work as a TV show," Hill told Entertainment Weekly in response to questions over Sam Lesser's reduced involvement and the mixing of two major keys in season 1. "It has to succeed in the possibilities and limitations of its own particular form. When we worked on the comic, we were always eager to make it successful as a comic, and there were things we could do that you couldn’t do in any other form.
"The comic is a horror comic in a lot of ways. The TV show is a work of dark fantasy that comments on horror. t’s not quite as meta as Scream or Cabin in the Woods, but I like that the show is in some ways more accessible as a work of dark fantasy."
It's plausible, then, that season 2 may diverge slightly from the comics, but what new content could we see this time around?
Locke and Key season 2 could blend the comics and original stories
Speaking to Collider in February 2020, showrunners Carlton Cuse and Meredith Averill revealed that season 2 would allow for "new stories" to be told within the TV adaptation.
"There definitely are stories left in the comics that we want to hold onto, to use in future seasons," Averill said. "So, it still remains a bit of a remix, of pulling from stories from the comic and our own original stories."
In a separate chat with io9, Averill also teased what kind of impact season 1's events will have had on the Locke siblings heading into season 2.
"With season two, we want to explore what that responsibility means," she said. "What does it mean as they get closer to being 18 years old—the age when you age out of magic—what does that mean? What does that look like? We cover so much of the comics in the first season, but there’s so much of the lore that we held back on and new keys we created for the show that we’re excited to share."
As for the cast, Emilia Jones told Collider (in a separate interview) what she would like to see as part of season 2's plot.
"Kinsey is gonna have to figure out that they’ve thrown Ellie through the Omega door, and that she’s facing a demon," Jones said. "And Tyler is gonna be 18, so he’ll start forgetting the magic, which will be a good storyline because Tyler and Kinsey are so close. They talk about everything and do everything together. Those are the stories that I would like to explore in Season 2."
Meanwhile, Griffin Gluck suggested that, as demons, there may be some conflict between Gabe and Eden, what with the latter now being a new demonic threat to the Locke family.
"When Hallea and I talked about that stuff, it was always separate from the writers," Gluck told Decider. "It was always just our own guesses on what we thought was going to happen. I like to think that there’s going to be drama between the two demons and they’re going to start conflicting with each other, but then again, that’s just something I hope. I have no clue."
Locke and key season 2 future: will there be more seasons?
Yes. In December 2020, it was announced (per Deadline) that a third season would be on the way.
Filming on Locke and Key season 3 began in May and is expected to wrap in mid-September, according to the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees' website.
Stars, including Darby Stanchfield, have been keeping fans up to date on how season 3's production is going. One of the actor's recent Instagram images showed a time lapse of filming taking place in Toronto, as well as some behind-the-scenes snaps for fans to enjoy:
It's great to see that a third season will be coming. Locke and Key is an intriguing and inventive series for Netflix to have in its back catalog, and we're as excited as anyone else to watch two more seasons of the show. Here's hoping they can live up to (or even surpass) the heights of the first season.
