the arrival of a new “Hellraiser“, which will bring back the Cenobites and the horrors caused by them, a doubt may remain: is the film a sequel to the franchise, a remake of the first film, or a total reboot of the series?
“The Hellbound Heart”, story written by Clive Barker, was adapted in 1987, screenplay and direction by the writer himself. Thus was born the original “Hellraiser”, which eventually became a franchise, which added nine sequels. The success of the franchise is mainly based on its most iconic character: Pinhead.
In this new chapter of the franchise, which arrives 35 years after the original, Doug Bradley, the original Pinhead, will be replaced by actress Jamie Clayton, star of the Netflix series, “Sense8”. David Bruckner assumes the role of director of the film, being known in the universe of horror for features like “V/H/S” and “A Casa Sombria”.
Now, Hulu's new "Hellraiser" isn't quite a sequel to the original 1987 film, nor is it a traditional remake. Instead, the film is a retelling of the Clive Barker story, thus a reboot of the "Hellraiser" franchise.
By ignoring the sequels in the franchise, the new film leaves behind films that have not won acclaim either from critics or from the public, since no feature, other than the original 1987 film, has an approval on Rotten Tomatoes greater than 50%, which signals that all received negative reviews from critics. By contrast, 2022's "Hellraiser" has an 80% critical approval rating.
Why is the new “Hellraiser” not a remake?
The new film is a readaptation and reboot, rather than a direct remake, because this frees up the new production to further explore the ideas of Clive Barker's book. For example, Pinhead and the other Cenobites were described as androgynous figures in the book. But Pinhead, in particular, was also described as having a more feminine voice, which doesn't match Doug Bradley's masculine tone in the 1987 film.
Thus, the new “Hellraiser” can be seen as more faithful to the original text by placing Pinhead as a female figure (played by Jamie Clayton) in the reboot. What's more, reboot status also distances the new film from the flaws of the original series.
Most of the sequels to "Hellraiser" were criticized for the appearance of being cheap movies, and for the theme too far from the original story by Clive Barker. “Hellraiser: Revelations” from 2011, for example, is a 1h15 long film that was produced in a short period, just so that Dimension Films would not lose the rights to the franchise.
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This made Doug Bradley refuse to return to the role of Pinhead, despite having played the character in all the films up to that point. Thus, the character changed faces for the first time in the history of the franchise.
For all these messes, a review makes the audience more excited to see the film. A fresh take on Clive Barker's source material, David Bruckner's "Hellraiser" reboot turns out to be the most appealing film to fans and critics alike since the original's release.
The new “Hellraiser” is scheduled to debut on October 7th, and should arrive in Brazil through Star+.
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