Hellraiser Creator Clive Barker Joins the HBO Series as Producer

Clive Barker is returning to the world of Hellraiser in a big way, as Deadline confirms that he will be serving as the executive producer of the HBO series that is currently being developed. The original 1987 Hellraiser was directed by Barker and based on his own novel The Hellbound Heart, a film which has since earned nine sequels. It was revealed earlier this year that David Gordon Green, director of 2018’s Halloween and the upcoming Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends, would be directing installments into the series. There is also currently a new Hellraiser reboot film being developed by director David Bruckner.

Barker noted in a statement that he was “delighted the Hellraiser mythology is seeing a new life. It’s time the stories went back to their roots. I’m eager to bring to a new audience the most powerful and ancient elements of horror: the darkest evil invading our human lives and how we must find in ourselves the power to resist it.”

Fellow executive producer Dan Farah noted, “Hellraiser started with Clive’s imagination and we couldn’t be more excited to have him on board.”

The series will be written by Mark Verheiden (Battlestar Galactica) and Michael Dougherty (Trick r’ Treat), with Verheiden serving as the series’ showrunner.

The original film focused on a mysterious puzzle box that opens up a portal to a demonic dimension. Following the death of a man who opens the box, his former lover begins to make sacrifices which slowly begin to bring the man back to life. Her actions ultimately draw the attention of the demonic Cenobites, fronted by the infamous “Pinhead.”

This isn’t the only Barker series being developed, as the filmmaker is also collaborating with Dougherty on a TV adaptation of his Nightbreed story.

“I’m producing the Bible, is what they call it, which is I think ironic, but the Bible for the Nightbreed series right now, and that’s exciting because that’s a series which has been in my head for the longest time,” Barker previously shared with ComicBook.com. “I think we’ll certainly see that next year, at least go into production next year. And we have Mike Dougherty [who directed Godzilla: King of the Monsters] which was an awesome movie, and Krampus, so we’ve got Michael on that. I’m very enthusiastic and optimistic about it.”

Stay tuned for details on the Hellraiser TV show.

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