The Hellraiser reboot trailer shows Pinhead's terrifying cenobite army. Directed by David Bruckner, the reboot provides a new installment in the franchise started by Clive Barker in 1987. Though the popular horror franchise has already spawned no less than 9 sequels prior to this Hulu reboot, most of them were negatively received and went straight to video. Understandably, the many low-budget installments in the Hellraiser franchise have turned some viewers off the horror classic completely, though it still enjoys a cult following. Therefore, the Bruckner-led reboot, which features the return of Barker to the franchise as co-producer, could be just what Hellraiser needs to redeem itself.
Most of Hellraiser's popularity has to do with the franchise's chilling villain, Pinhead, also known as the Hell Priest, who was played by Doug Bradley for most of the franchise's run. Jamie Clayton takes up the helm for the reboot, which initially sparked backlash from fans, who expressed disappointment that the villain would be recast and female. However, Bradley expressed his support for Clayton's iteration of Pinhead, and Clayton herself has made it clear that she is eager to bring the iconic villain to life. Among the updates in the reboot, previously released images revealed Pinhead's slight redesign, which promises an even more horrifying version of the character. Likewise, her Cenobites, the sect of demons she controls that no longer know the difference between pleasure and pain, are truly frightening in the well-produced reboot.
20th Century Studios has now released a trailer offering a closer look at what fans can expect in the new Hellraiser film. The trailer shows the return of the franchise's Lament Configuration puzzle box, which attracts the Cenobytes when solved and features many other terrifying moments. Check the full trailer out below:
A feature of Pinhead that sets the Hell Priest apart from other '80s horror villains is the willingness to converse with his victims rather than simply walking around slashing people to bits. The trailer shows that Clayton's iteration of Pinhead will continue that tradition, as she is seen in the clips speaking in unsettling fashion to her victims before the chains come out. The trailer makes it clear that the reboot will not operate as a direct remake of the original Hellraiser, instead rebooting the franchise with some old story beats combined with new and intriguing details to decipher. Based on the trailer, some fans have compared the film to a more faithful version of The Hellbound Heart, Barker's 1986 novella that served as the inspiration for the original film, as well as praising the Hell Priest and the Cenobytes' creepy new looks.
With plenty of horror reboots released in recent years, it would be easy to scoff at a reboot in a franchise that already boasts ten installments, nine of which were met with criticism. However, the new generation of horror fans have proved that there is a market for reboots of horror classics beyond those that fondly remember the originals. After the successes of 2017's It and 2018's Halloween, it's likely that more horror franchise reboots are on the horizon. Hopefully, they all get the impressive treatment that Hellraiser has clearly received.
Source: 20th Century Studios
