At long last, we have a full official trailer from Hulu's Hellraiser reboot. The chains, the blood, the reverence is all back in David Bruckner's (The Night House) reimagining of Clive Barker's twisted, sadistic world. Ahead of its October premiere, see what sights the Hell Priestess has in store for us.
In 1987, audiences first dared to open the puzzle box of Barker’s adaptation of his own novel The Hellbound Heart. The horror film introduced us to Pinhead, portrayed then by Doug Bradley, a pleasure demon known as a Cenobite, who revels in the delights of pain and torture. The movie easily became a staple in the genre, with nine follow-up films within the franchise, focusing on an antagonist with a touch of elegance. These weren’t mindless killers, they were an eternity of pain personified, and typically they were summoned.
The brand-new trailer displays Bruckner’s puzzle box, front and center, as an exhibit, hearkening back to Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth. Enticing us to seek immeasurable pleasures, a mysterious Mr. Vought, played by Goran Visnjic (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), convinces a young man to “keep going,” to open the box, to release the hell within, to earn his “prize.” Upon completing the puzzle, the man’s blood is soaked into the box, releasing the familiar chains that manifest from the dimension the Cenobites reside in.
From the trailer it appears Bruckner is going to attempt to tackle the inner workings of the box, the totem which allows the Cenobites to be summoned to our world from theirs. In a journal we see a glimpse of notes scribbled down, configurations explaining each turn and pattern of the object. Actress Odessa A’Zion (Let’s Scare Julie) appears to play the reboot’s as-of-yet unnamed heroine, struggling with her addiction and fixated on comprehending what this bizarre box is, and who they are coming to collect.
Finally, we see the new Cenobites emerging from the shadows in all of their depraved designs. The Chatterer is back, the grating noise of his teeth clacking returning to mock a new generation of victims, as Jamie Clayton’s (Sense8) Hell Priestess — Pinhead — is shown declaring, “It’s time.” The reboot’s Pinhead maintains the original’s distinguished, calm demeanor, but her voice is warped and snarling. The trailer also indicates that audiences won’t have to wait for the sequel to see their maze-like dominion or the Leviathan. “Greater delights await,” us.
Joining Clayton, A’Zion and Visnjic in this ensemble cast are Adam Faison, Drew Starkey, Brandon Flynn, Aoife Hinds, Jason Liles, Yinka Olorunnife, Selina Lo, Zachary Hing, Kit Clarke and Hiam Abbass. Hellraiser’s screenplay is adapted from the works of Barker by Ben Collins, Luke Piotrowski and The Dark Knight saga’s David S. Goyer, who also serves as a producer. This Hulu Original reunites director Bruckner with the writers from 2020’s The Night House, as well as producer Keith Levine. Barker also produces, along with Marc Toberoff and executive producers Todd Williams, Peter Oillataguerre and Gary Barber.
Hellraiser will premiere exclusively on Hulu as part of their annual Huluween celebration on October 7. You can watch the trailer below: