Why won’t there be a Locke and Key season 4?
Viewers are saying goodbye to the hit Netflix series. **WARNING: Contains spoilers for Locke and Key season 3**
Netflix has developed a reputation for ending its shows before they can wear out their welcome, with some bowing out on their own terms and others being unexpectedly scrapped with unresolved plot threads.
Fortunately, in the case of Locke and Key, we're dealing with the former scenario, as the brand new third season was designed from the ground up to bring this fantasy saga to its conclusion.
That said, in this age of revivals and legacy sequels, few projects can ever be considered definitively over and there are certainly some fascinating stories from the Joe Hill comics that remain unadapted – including a crossover with The Sandman.
For now, here's the lowdown on why Locke and Key is ending with season 3 on Netflix.
Will there be a Locke and Key season 4?
Following a pandemic-induced production delay, Netflix upgraded Locke and Key to a double renewal for seasons two and three, which were filmed back-to-back over the course of a year (starting in September 2020).
However, in April 2022, executive producers Carlton Cuse and Meredith Averill confirmed that the third season would be the final adventure for their incarnation of the Locke family, citing that the narrative had reached a natural endpoint.
"Once we began working on the series, we felt three seasons was the ideal length to bring the story of the Locke family and their Keyhouse adventures to a satisfying conclusion," they explained.
"As storytellers, we are grateful that we had the opportunity to tell our version of Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez’s incredible story exactly the way we wanted. We’re keeping the magical keys, though, for our own personal use."
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Could there be more Locke and Key on Netflix?
Unfortunately for fans, it seems as if Locke and Key won't be returning to our screens anytime soon, with the third season intended to bring the fantasy series to a close.
However, the season 3 ending has left the door open to further stories if the cast and crew ever decide to reunite, with the Locke siblings' magical memories protected from deterioration and more keys hinted to be hidden around their home.
Since the conclusion of his mainline story, writer Joe Hill has returned to pen flashback tales in the world of Locke and Key, while most recently he crafted a crossover with Neil Gaiman's The Sandman universe.
Given that Netflix holds the television rights to both Locke and Key and The Sandman, which recently debuted to strong reviews, the streamer could potentially attempt to merge the two shows in an adaptation of the latest comic.
However, this is unlikely to happen for the time being, with The Sandman being squarely focused on adapting Gaiman's initial run of comic books, which ran for ten volumes in total.
Locke and Key is available to stream on Netflix. Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.
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Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
