Hellraiser's ominous Pinhead and his disturbing Cenobites might see the light of day again with talk of two different projects in the works. Despite recent sequel films Hellraiser: Revelations (2011) and Hellraiser: Judgement (2018), fans of the franchise have still craved a closer look at the mythology behind the sadistic demons haunting every movie.
Talks of both a remake film and an HBO cable show begin in April of 2020. Details on both horror projects have been kept under wraps, however, recent Halloween Kills director David Gordon Green has confirmed that the Hellraiser TV show is still in the works under his direction.
Green explained to Entertainment Weekly that the Hellraiser show does not yet have a script, but it is still being put together under HBO. Green is excited that the show will break new territory for the franchise, which has strictly only adhered to films in the past. Although the reboot film is also still in the works under The Night House director David Bruckner, Green does not seem concerned about competition between the two works. "It's going to be fascinating because it's a different platform, different concept, different creators, but the same properties," Green said. "I'm not sure where that ends up and how that goes, but I'm very curious. It is a fun cultural experiment, right? To think there's a crew with a concept for a series [and] a crew with a concept for a movie taking the same mythology. I don't know, does it become like Deep Impact and Armageddon?"
The original Hellraiser film follows the devastating consequences of a puzzle box, bought in Morroco by Frank Cotton (Sean Chapman), who seeks a new level of carnal pleasure in his life. After solving the puzzle box, Cotton is torn apart by Cenobites and slowly puts himself back together by gaining access to dead bodies and blood, supplied mostly by an ex-lover and his brother's wife Julia (Claire Higgins). Julia's teenage daughter comes across the puzzle box and ensues her own world of danger in the process. The franchise follows those who come across the puzzle box as well as the Cenobites and their leader Pinhead.
Bruckner's film will only work as a remake of the original 1987 Hellraiser, giving the classic a modern look and tone. Green's show aims to dive deeper into the mythology of Hellraiser and expand on the extra-dimensional qualities of the franchise that have drawn so many fans to the intense gory horror that Pinhead unveils.
The Hellraiser franchise has had nine films to its name, and like other horror franchises, it is branching out. Recent reboots of Halloween, Child's Play, and Scream have gained traction with new and old fans of horror. While there is still little known about the two Hellraiser adaptations, the Bruckner reboot will air exclusively on Hulu, and Green's show will debut on HBO.
Hellraiser (1987) is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
Source: Entertainment Weekly