Hellraiser Reboot Director Says New Film Is Somewhat a “Reimagining”

Ever since the first Hellraiser landed in theaters in 1987, the franchise has earned 10 installments, with yet another installment on the way from filmmaker David Bruckner, who recently confirmed that, rather than being a direct continuation of the films that came before it, it will serve as “something of a small reimagining.” Due to the fantastical nature of the concept, the series has undergone a number of reimaginings and revivals over the years, with its mythology allowing audiences to approach each new film as its standalone adventure. The new Hellraiser doesn’t yet have a release date but is expected to be a Hulu exclusive.

“We can’t say anything about it yet,” Bruckner shared with SFX Magazine, per Games Radar. “But it is something that we are actively working towards, and it is a joy and a dream for a filmmaker like myself to dive into that world. All I’ll say is that we are aiming to be as true as we can to the original material. [Clive Barker’s original story] ‘The Hellbound Heart’ is also a primary source of inspiration, as well as the original film. But then it is something of a small reimagining and we are currently working on it.”

The series of films features a mysterious puzzle box that opens a gateway to another horrifying dimension where demonic Cenobites torture and punish victims in grotesque and horrifying ways. The series gave birth to the iconic horror villain “Pinhead,” who became an integral component of the franchise and is nearly as recognizable as other villains like Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, and Freddy Krueger.

A majority of the recent Hellraiser films went straight to video, and while the new take on the material will be debuting on Hulu, it’s expected to draw more attention than films that came before it. This is only one of many projects inspired by Clive Barker’s stories, as director of 2018’s Halloween David Gordon Green is attached to develop a Hellraiser HBO Max series. Another Barker TV series is Nightbreed, which was previously adapted into a feature film, and has Godzilla: King of the Monsters and Trick ‘r Treat director Michael Dougherty attached.

Stay tuned for details on the new Hellraiser reboot from director David Bruckner and writers Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski.

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