A New Hellraiser For A New Age

Clive Barker's Dark Classic Reaches The Light Of Day In A Bold Retelling

A Little History . . .

In 1987 we were introduced to the film adaptation of 'The Hellbound Heart', written and directed by the author himself Clive Barker, and the legendary Horror classic Hellraiser was born. It wasn't your average slasher film that many people had come to expect, marrying several things in an effort to make the audience uncomfortable, namely blasphemy, violence, and sexuality. Since then, there have been numerous sequels, many of which went straight to home market, as well as graphic novels and an array of merchandise. With a rabid fanbase that crowns the franchise as the pinnacle of Horror entertainment, and after years of rumors, a remake that could easily prove to be the best version of Hellraiser we've ever seen is finally a reality.

A Bold New Vision

David Bruckner, director of films such as 'The Night House', 'Southbound', and 'The Ritual', will be at the helm of the Hellraiser remake with the blessing of the Horror/Fantasy master himself, Clive Barker. The film, which is said to have already wrapped, is produced by Marc Toberoff, David S. Goyer, Keith Levine, and Clive Barker with a script written by Ben Collins, Luke Piotrowski, and David S. Goyer, and all things considered there may not be a better fit for this project than the atmospheric approach of Bruckner. If his previous films are any indication of what we have to expect from this version of Hellraiser, we could have something delightfully disturbing to look forward to.

Coming to #hulu c/o of Spyglass Media Group (SMG) the project has an unspecified release date scheduled for 2022, which coincides with the 35th anniversary of the original film. The SMG President of Production has gone on record to express his excitement over the film, calling it a " . . . unique take on the original", and showing his respect for Barker who he referred to as " . . . the original creator & master of visionary Horror". Writer and producer David Goyer claims the script is much closer to the novella than the 1987 film, calling it "Beautiful & Terrifying", while the director himself says it is ". . . a very special new chapter in the Hellraiser legacy."

The biggest news in the remake potentially comes in the form of casting, with the most recognizable character in the franchise, the Hell Priest Pinhead, being played by the talented transgender actress, Jamie Clayton. This decision caused quite a stir among Hellraiser & Hellbound aficionados and in many ways holds true to Barker's original novella, which is intentionally ambiguous about gender, forcing readers to focus on the story and the art rather than quantifying the characters internally.

There is clearly still some mystery surrounding this project, but with Barker's own description of the film being what it is, there's a lot to look forward to:

" (This is) a Hellraiser on a scale I simply didn't expect . . . what excites me is their desire to honor the original even as they revolutionize it." - Clive Barker