It's a good time to be a Hellraiser fan. Not only do we have a new TV series coming, from the minds of David Gordon Green and original novella writer Clive Barker, but a new feature film is coming from director David Bruckner (The Night House) and writer/producer David S. Goyer (The Dark Knight). And when you've got two Davids working together, you know they're gonna make something special.
Our own Steve Weintraub recently spoke with Goyer about his Apple TV+ series Foundation and asked him to update us on the new Hellraiser film. And while Goyer didn't want to spoil all the sights he has to show us, what he did reveal should be great news for any fans of Hellraiser, R-rated horror, or demons emerging from boxes to mix pleasure and pain (that last one might be specific to just Hellraiser).
Goyer confirmed that the team is currently in production on Hellraiser: "We're literally in the midst of filming it right now." Goyer also confirmed that the film is going for an R-rating with a simple "Yes," though he wouldn't elaborate on exactly how ultra-violent the new film will get (laughingly telling us, "I'm not going to answer that question"). Goyer continued on the goals of fidelity they're going for, and how the new footage is looking thus far:
"I will say that we went back to the original novella for the source material, we're really honoring Clive's work. I can say that David Bruckner is a genius. It's filming right now. The footage is terrifying and amazing, and the Cenobites are jaw-dropping."
To unpack this a little: It seems as though the film will be less in dialogue with the oft-convoluted Hellraiser film mythology (of which there are currently 10 films) and more so a back-to-basics approach in dialogue with Barker's original novella, The Hellbound Heart, a work that highlights a self-contained story and emphasis on romance among the now-calcified imagery of Cenobites and gore. Bruckner, called "a genius" here by Goyer, most recently directed The Night House, which is also a self-contained gothic ghost story emphasizing the pitfalls and tribulations of a doomed romance; thus, his particular styles and sensibilities feel like a solid match for what they could be going for on this film (though The Night House is relatively bloodless).
As for those "jaw-dropping" Cenobites, those demons from hell who appear when you unlock a puzzle box and turn your existence into vessels of agonizing torture/pleasure, well, we obviously had one key question: Will Doug Bradley return to reprise his iconic role as Pinhead, the man whose head is full of pins? Goyer responded, simply, "I can't say," leaving us fans to remain in wonder just how much this film is trying to reset what we know about Hellraiser (especially in the wake of the recent franchise-deconstructing Candyman). Goyer also revealed that he "genuinely [doesn't] know" when fans will get a first look at the film's footage as they're still in the middle of shooting. So, sorry, fellow hedonists, but we've got a bit longer to wait until this puzzle is solved.
Hellraiser currently has a tentative 2022 release date. Be on the lookout for more from our Goyer Foundation interview soon.