Clive Barker started his directing career with ‘Hellraiser’ and is now looking to reboot the franchise that helped make him famous. While I’m quite often against remakes of all kinds, ‘Hellraiser’ did not age well. Most of the series has become kind of a convoluted mess. While the concept of the Cenobites being unleashed upon our world from a puzzle box can be fun, it hasn’t been done well in years. A fresh take on the series by the man who created it might be just what we all need.

Not only has Barker decided to reboot the franchise, but it looks like Doug Bradley (‘Hellraiser’) is already in to reprise the role of the infamous Pinhead!

There’s been rumors of a new ‘Hellraiser’ series for quite some time. In fact it even went far enough to get some concept art drawn but it’s been nearly a year since anything has come from it. With a new film in the works, I have a sneaky suspicion that this project is dead in the water. If they did end up doing both, it is really hopde that the creative teams find a way to work together and make them interconnected.

So what can we expect from a return to the realm of the Cenobites? Here’s what Barker had to say:

“What can I tell you about it? Well, it will not be a film awash with CGI. I remain as passionate about the power of practical make-up effects as I was when I wrote and directed the first HELLRAISER. Of course the best make-up in the world loses force if not inhabited by a first-rate actor. I told the Dimension team that in my opinion there could never be a Pinhead without Doug Bradley, and much to my delight Bob Weinstein agreed.”

A return to ‘Hellraiser’! Doug Bradley is back! Practical effects and not CGI! All of these sound good. Horror has been up to it’s neck in remakes as of late and while most of them have been unnecessary (‘Carrie‘ anyone?), I feel that the idea of ‘Hellraiser’ was solid but usually hasn’t been done properly. I have high hopes that with Barker back as the driving force behind a refresh of the franchise, we’re going to be in store for something amazingly creepy!

What are your thoughts? Is another reboot not what we need for horror? Is the ‘Hellraiser’ franchise one of the few that would be able to pull it off AND make a refreshed series out of it that would be good? Share your thoughts below!

Source: LA Times