If there’s a central preoccupation of Joe Cornish’s screen output, its British kids fighting back against the supernatural. And while Attack The Block gave us John Boyega vs ‘big gorilla wolf motherfucker’ aliens, and The Kid Who Would Be King saw school children battle undead Arthurian hordes, Cornish’s latest project is all about spooky spectres. Netflix series Lockwood & Co is a ghost-busting adventure, set in a world where sinister spirits are a regular occurrence in our everyday lives – and agents are employed to keep them at bay. While most are major corporations, Lockwood & Co is an independent ghost-hunting business run by two teenage boys, who welcome Ruby Stokes’ psychically-gifted Lucy into their ranks. Watch the trailer:
Doesn’t that look like a spooky, stylish treat? Based on Jonathan Stroud’s novels, the show presents a world similar to ours, but in which the rise of spectral terrors has had an impact on the way technology has developed – with an analogue, archaic feel. Meanwhile, the ghosts themselves look suitably scary, with sword-swinging action in the mix – and Cornish’s knack for dry wit surely means there’ll be some comedy there too. Here’s the official synopsis: “In London, where the most gifted teenage ghost-hunters venture nightly into perilous combat with deadly spirits, amidst the many corporate, adult-run agencies, one stands alone: independent of any commercial imperative or adult supervision – a tiny startup, run by two teenage boys and a newly arrived, supremely psychically gifted girl, a renegade trio destined to unravel a mystery that will change the course of history: Lockwood & Co.”
The good news is, there isn’t long to wait – Lockwood & Co comes to Netflix from 27 January. Now, what’s the latest on Attack The Block 2?