Legendary horror writer Clive Barker is ready to give his iconic Pinhead and the rest of the Cenobites a remake in a new “Hellraiser” film. Barker’s feature length directorial debut took place in 1987 on the original film starring Andrew Robinson, Clare Higgins, Ashley Laurence and Doug Bradley. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Barker revealed some new details on the project.
“I think the phrase is ‘reboot,’ although I’ve never really understood what that meant. I wanted to make sure we sounded some fresh notes. The movie actually begins on Devil’s Island. I wanted to fold into the Hellraiser narrative something about the guy-the Frenchman Lemarchand-who made the mysterious box, which raises Pinhead. I figured, ‘Well, what would have happened to him?’ He might well have been taken to Devil’s Island and I thought that would be a pretty cool place to start the movie. We’re waiting for Bob (Weinstein) to come back to us and see when we’re going to actually make the movie.”
Fictionally, the boxes were created by the toymaker, Philip Lemarchand, who is mentioned in The Hellbound Heart (the novella upon which the movie Hellraiser was based.) Lemarchand crafted the puzzle boxes, which when solved would open a gateway or schism between our world and the dimension of endless pain and suffering.
With Barker only writing the remake, fans are wondering when he will sit in the director’s chair once more. The last time he helmed a film was for the 1995 Scott Bacula horror/mystery “Lord of Illusion.” This is what Barker had to say on the matter.
“We’ve got some really cool things coming down the pike. They’re movies which I’m able to watch over as a producer rather than as a director, [but] each time another thing gets added to the rest of the things that we’re doing, I get more tantalized by the idea of actually doing it as a director myself. So, I don’t think I’ll wait too long until I sign on for something myself.”
Some fans believe the series and Pinhead have run their course, while others are looking forward to a fresh spin on a cult horror classic. What do you think?
Sources: Entertainment Weekly, wikipedia, IMDb