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Despite now being under the ownership of the typically family-friendly Walt Disney Company after purchasing 20th Century Fox and all its assets, Hulu has not been pulling its punches when it comes to the world of horror. Just this year, Hulu released the anticipated Predator prequel Prey (2022), which has since earned enormous praise from fans and critics alike in addition to becoming Hulu's most viewed original film premiere ever. Prey has been nearly universally recognized as the best film in the long-running series since the original 1987 film, and come this October, Hulu will be reviving another beloved franchise known for its pension for pain and suffering.

Hellraiser (1987), the sadistic brainchild of acclaimed author Clive Barker, was an instant horror cult classic upon its release, bringing the hell priest known as Pinhead and his gang of Cenobites into the pantheon of horror movie killers. However, Hellraiser is not an entertaining slasher like the Friday the 13th or A Nightmare on Elm Street franchises. It's a dark, disturbing, methodical look into the dangers of pleasure derived from pain, with goofy and cartoonish kills being replaced by some excellently crafter practical body horror. The first film was a decent success, quadrupling its million-dollar budget in addition to becoming a favorite for fans of the genre. Ultimately the film spawned a very long-running franchise with a whopping nine sequels, three of which were theatrical with the other six being straight to video.

Now, Hulu is ready to bring the Cenobites back to the screen, with a new film simply titled Hellraiser (2022). A new higher budget feature film in the Hellraiser has been in development hell so to speak for an incredibly long time, with filmmakers being attached to the helm the project going back to as far as 2007. Despite being roughly a month away, details, and even footage for that matter, have been shrouded in mystery, but that doesn't mean the upcoming reboot is a complete puzzle. So join us in our attempt to solve this Lament Configuration as we list everything we know so far about Hulu's Hellraiser.

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Image via Hulu

Related:How to Watch the 'Hellraiser' Movies in Order (Chronologically and by Release Date)

Is There a Trailer for Hellraiser?

Well, yes, but if you're looking for any story details, then you're out of luck.

The fifteen-second video is a teaser in every sense of the word. All it showcases is Pinhead standing menacingly in the background illuminated in a blood-red light as the title rolls across the screen, followed by a released date and the Hulu logo. A short and simple way to tell fans that Hellraiser is back, though the Pinhead reveal is pretty significant as this film's version of the hell priest will be significantly different from the original version of the character, but we'll get to that big change momentarily.

What is the Release Date for Hellraiser?

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Image via Hulu

The new iteration of the Hellraiser will be screaming its way onto Hulu just in time for Halloween, with the anticipated horror reboot officially premiering on October 7th exclusively on Hulu.

Is the New Hellraiser a Sequel or a Remake?

The jury is still out on whether this will take place in the same established Hellraiser continuity of the previous ten films or will start completely from scratch, but the concept of a "requel" isn't unheard of in the realm of horror. Halloween, Candyman, and even Terminator (yes it counts as horror) are just some of the major franchises that kept the first film canonical while erasing some if not all the other sequels.

We do have an official synopsis for the film that reads as follows:

In this reimagining of Clive Barker's seminal Hellraiser franchise, a young woman must confront the sadistic, supernatural forces behind an enigmatic puzzlebox responsible for her brother's disappearance.

Since the film's cast list currently consists of actors who are completely new to the franchise, the idea that this could be a clean slate is entirely possible, but we'll more than likely have to wait until the film releases to find out if this new film will fit into the current timeline or start a completely new one.

Who is Starring in Hellraiser?

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Image via Hulu

Arguably the biggest piece of news that we have on the new Hellraiser at this point in time is who will be playing Pinhead (which by the way is a name that creator Clive Barker hates, preferring the title of Hell Priest), and the horror icon will be played this time by Sense8 star Jamie Clayton, making this the first time that a woman has donned the iconic pins. This isn't the first time that the role of Pinhead has been recast. The original and most recognizable Pinhead actor is easily Doug Bradley, who played the character in nearly every Hellraiser film aside from the most recent two. Stephen Smith Collins (Criminal Minds) played Pinhead in Hellraiser: Revelations (2011) and Paul T. Taylor (Super) played the part in Hellraiser: Judgment (2018).

The rest of the human victims (as well as potentially Pinhead's fellow Cenobites) have yet to be revealed, but we do know the remaining cast that'll be appearing in the film. They include Goran Visnjic (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), Hiam Abbass (Blade Runner 2049), Brandon Flynn (13 Reasons Why), Drew Starkey (Love, Simon), Odessa A'zion (Supercool), Selena Lo (Boss Level), Aofie Hinds (Normal People), Predrag Bjelac (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire), and Adam Faison (Into the Dark). Hopefully, we'll at the very least see some cameos from some Hellraiser alumni as well in addition to the new cast.

Who is Making Hellraiser?

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Ever since whispers of a new Hellraiser film started in 2007, several filmmakers have been attached to take on the legendary series. Some names include the directing pair behind Leatherface (2017) Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury and Martyrs director Pascal Laugier. Years later and the person who ultimately chooses to helm the project is none other than David Bruckner; a director with plenty of experience in the horror space with hits like V/H/S (2012), The Ritual (2017), and The Night House (2020). Bruckner will also be reteaming with screenwriters Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski whom he worked with on The Night House, along with a story by David S. Goyer (The Dark Knight).

Clive Barker will also be involved with the franchise he created serving as a producer for the film. Filling out the rest of the cast are cinematographer Eli Born (Super Dark Times), production designer Kathrin Eder (The Night House), and costume designer Momrika Bailovik (Mayhem). Ben Lovett (The Night House) will be composing the score for the film, taking over from Christopher Young and his legendary work in the original film.

Related:‘Hellraiser’ Made Pinhead A Star, But Don’t Forget This Other Villain

Are There Any Other Hellraiser Projects in Development?

The Hellraiser franchise is in a bit of a unique rights issue, as there is an entirely unrelated television series currently in development for HBO Max. The series will be created by David Gordon Green and Danny McBride, who became big names in the horror genre after they successfully rebooted the Halloween series. Clive Barker will also be attached to the project as executive producer.

No sequel has currently been announced for Hulu's Hellraiser film, but a continuation could certainly be in the cards if the film does well enough on the streamer.