Hellraiser Reboot Earns Official R Rating

With the franchise being created by Clive Barker, the Hellraiser series has a long history of blending together grotesque gore, demonic presences, and sex, which includes the upcoming Hulu adaptation of the property embracing that graphic sensibility. The film has officially earned an R rating, which likely won’t surprise audiences too much, as the source material is inherently graphic and unsettling. Arguably what makes this rating more exciting is that it confirms that the project is nearly complete, and while there has yet to be a confirmed release date, the timing of its rating could mean that it will be landing on the streamer in time for Halloween.

The new Hellraiser has been rated R for “strong bloody horror violence and gore, language throughout, some sexual content, and brief graphic nudity.”

The new film is described as a “loyal, yet evolved re-imagining of Clive Barker’s 1987 horror classic.”

Rather than merely attempting to exactly replicate what made the original story work, the new film from director David Bruckner and writers Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski are doing their own take on the concept. One such tweak that makes their film different from the 1987 film is that the main Cenobite, nicknamed “Pinhead” by fans, will be played by actress Jamie Clayton. While some fans might wonder why a woman will be playing the figure, the original description of the character from Barker includes the detailing of feminine figures, despite the characters being genderless.

The film also stars Odessa A’zion (Grand Army, Mark, Mary, & Some Other People), Brandon Flynn (13 Reasons Why, Ratched), Goran Visnjic (The Boys, ER), Drew Starkey (Outer Banks, Love, Simon), Adam Faison (Everything’s Gonna Be Okay, Into the Dark), Aoife Hinds (Normal People, Anne Boleyn), and Hiam Abbass (Blade Runner 2049, Succession).

“From the moment I first read ‘The Hellbound Heart,’ Clive Barker became one of my literary heroes,” producer David S. Goyer shared in the statement. “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.”

Barker added, “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.”  

Stay tuned for details on the new Hellraiser adaptation.

Are you looking forward to the new movie? Let us know in the comments or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things horror and Star Wars!