The Ritual and The Night House director David Bruckner‘s reboot of the Hellraiser film franchise started filming last month, and Deadline reports that production has already wrapped. Now that principal photography is done, Spyglass Media Group and Hulu have finally announced the film’s cast – the most important reveal being that transgender actress Jamie Clayton is taking over the role of genre icon Pinhead! It has also been confirmed that the new Hellraiser will be released through the Hulu streaming service, and that franchise creator Clive Barker is officially on board as a producer.
Producer David S. Goyer came up with the story for the new film, and the screenplay has been written by Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski (Super Dark Times). Based on Barker’s novella The Hellbound Heart, the original Hellraiser was about
a puzzle box that opens a gateway to a horrific world and Cenobites, mutilated beings dedicated to torture and led by one nicknamed Pinhead. The movie quickly achieved cult status, spawning a franchise that would encompass ten movies, comics, and merchandise, with Pinhead and his visage at the center of it.
Clayton is joined in the cast of the Hellraiser reboot by Brandon Flynn (13 Reasons Why), Goran Visnjic (The Boys), Drew Starkey (Outer Banks), Adam Faison (Everything’s Gonna Be Okay), Aoife Hinds (Anne Boleyn), Hiam Abbass (Blade Runner 2049), and the previously announced Odessa A’Zion.
Peter Oillataguerre, President of Production for Spyglass, had this to say about the reboot project:
Next year marks the 35th anniversary since Hellraiser first haunted our dreams. It’s only fitting to come full circle in collaborating with Clive, the original creator and master of visionary horror. We look forward to working with our partners at Hulu in bringing this unique take on the original to new audiences.”
Bruckner added:
It’s been such an honor to have Clive onboard to help support and shepherd us through the incredible universe he created so long ago. Combined with a fearless and committed cast, including the amazing Jamie Clayton, who fully embodies the role as the Hell Priest, we’re aiming to create a very special new chapter in the Hellraiser legacy.”
Goyer said:
From the moment I first read The Hellbound Heart, Clive Barker became one of my literary heroes. His work is transgressive and completely redefined the horror genre. Under the guiding hand of David Bruckner, we’re going back to the source and taking our inspiration from that original novella.”
And Barker provided the following statement:
Having seen some of the designs from David Bruckner’s new Hellraiser film, they pay homage to what the first film created, but then take it to places it’s never been before. This is a Hellraiser on a scale that I simply didn’t expect. David and his team are steeped in the story’s mythology, but what excites me is their desire to honor the original even as they revolutionize it for a new generation.”
Clayton’s previous credits include Sense8, Designated Survivor, The L Word: Generation Q, and Roswell, New Mexico. Pinhead was, of course, originally played by Doug Bradley. Stephan Smith Collins and Paul T. Taylor took on the role in later sequels.
Barker is also currently working on an HBO Max Hellraiser series that’s headed up by David Gordon Green, Mark Verheiden, and Michael Dougherty.