Hulu is breathing new life into the Hellraiser universe with an 11th film in the franchise, which will follow the 2018 release Hellraiser: Judgement – and the new movie looks pretty terrifying if the latest trailer is anything to go by.
Based on Clive Barker’s 1986 novella, The Hellbound Heart, the Hellraiser franchise centres around a group of Cenobites, pain-obsessed and sadistic beings from another realm which are unleashed when someone solves a puzzle box.
And now footage for the new movie, titled Hellraiser, has given fans a first look at the iconically terrifying Pinhead redesign as well as the creepy Cenobites.
From the master of horror Clive Barker, experience #Hellraiser on October 7. pic.twitter.com/0k1iWHMXmc
— Hulu (@hulu) September 20, 2022
The chilling footage shows various victims trying to solve the puzzle box and, one by one, meeting their end in increasingly violent ways.
Meanwhile, Odessa A’zion’s central character Riley explains how the puzzle box works.
Eventually, Jamie Clayton dons the new Pinhead redesign for the first time as she asks a victim: “What is it you pray for?”
The original Hellraiser, which premiered in 1987, was hugely popular upon its release and was written and directed by Clive Barker, who is one of the new movie’s producers, alongside David S. Goyer, Keith Levine, and Marc Toberoff.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, filmmaker David Bruckner explained why he decided to tell a new tale in the Hellraiser universe rather than remaking the original movie.
“I just didn’t think you could ever remake the original Hellraiser,” he explained. It’s too much its own thing and it would be, I think, perilous territory for filmmakers, because how do you top that? This is a new story in the Hellraiser universe.”
Read on for everything you need to know about the new entry to the Hellraiser franchise.
Hellraiser reboot release date
Hellraiser is currently scheduled for a 7th October release date exclusively on Hulu for US audiences.
However, a global release date is yet to be confirmed, meaning UK viewers will have to wait for more information.
Hellraiser reboot cast
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The new tale revolves around a character named Riley, who is played by Odessa A’zion (Conception, For the Night).
Alongside A’zion, Goran Visnjic (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) plays a character fascinated by the puzzle box.
The ensemble cast includes Adam Faison (Everything’s Gonna Be Okay), Drew Starkey (Outer Banks), Brandon Flynn (13 Reasons Why), Aoife Hinds (Normal People), Jason Liles (Stereoscope), Yinka Olorunnife (The Transporter), Selina Lo (Boss Level), Zachary Hing (Halo), Kit Clarke (Leonardo), with and Hiam Abbass (Succession).
Behind the camera, Clive Barker (The Hellbound Heart) is on board as a producer.
In an interview with Empire, Bruckner previously said having Barker on the project “has been such an honour” and that his involvement has helped expand “the incredible universe he created so long ago”.
Barker also 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 honour the original even as they revolutionise it for a new generation.”
Who plays Pinhead in the Hellraiser reboot?
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Jamie Clayton (Designated Survivor, Sense8) will play the Cenobite leader Pinhead, the beloved S&M icon, who was portrayed in the original film and many of its sequels by Doug Bradley.
The news of Clayton’s casting broke in October 2021 after the actress posted an image of her holding a Lament Configuration puzzle box on social media.
“Demons to some. Angels to others,” the Sense8 star teased in a tweet that also linked to a Deadline article detailing her casting.
“We felt a kind of anticipation around the fans to reimagine the character,” Brucker previously told EW of the decision to cast Clayton, a trans woman. “We knew we wanted Pinhead to be a woman. Jamie was just the right person for the role. A person’s identity can be really exciting for a role in many ways, but I have to emphasize that Jamie absolutely killed, that’s how we got there.”
Brucker added that he did not want Clayton to copy Bradley’s portrayal of the character, explaining: “There will be suffering, but you’re going to get a sense of what Pinhead’s desires might be in a way that hits a little different.”
Hellraiser reboot plot
As detailed above, the new movie is not a remake of the original Hellraiser movie, but rather a new story in Barker’s horror franchise.
But the new tale still looks pretty chilling. It revolves around on a character named Riley, who is played by Odessa A’zion.
“A young woman struggling with addiction comes into possession of an ancient puzzle box, unaware that its purpose is to summon the Cenobites, a group of sadistic supernatural beings from another dimension,” the official Hulu plot description reads.
Is there a trailer for the Hellraiser reboot?
Yes! And it gives fans a good look at Pinhead, central character Riley, and the brand new Cenobites. Watch below:
Hellraiser will land on Hulu on 7th October 2022 in the US. A UK release date is yet to be announced.
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