Hellraiser is making a return at last, this time in a new television series being developed for HBO. The iconic horror character Pinhead was last seen in 2018's Hellraiser: Judgment, the 10th installment of the long-running series. Following the poor critical and fan reception of Hellraiser: Bloodline, the subsequent sequels have all headed straight to video.
Clive Barker's first Hellraiser film was an adaptation of his own novella, The Hellbound Heart. The story centered on sadomasochistic entities known as the Cenobites who, if summoned, drag their willing participants down to Hell, where they are tortured endlessly until they learn to enjoy it. Pinhead, the now iconic horror character, is the leader of the Cenobites. The first film made its debut in 1987, making a splash with critics and audiences alike. After Barker completed his work on the first and second films in the series, he decided to part ways with the franchise. The series would continue on without him with eight sequels coming to fruition, including Hellraiser III: Hell On Earth, Hellraiser: Bloodline and Hellraiser: Inferno.
A new Hellraiser television series is currently in development at HBO with David Gordon Green set to direct the pilot episode of the series and several more. The series will be written by Mark Verheiden, whose credits include Battlestar Galactica and Heroes, and Michael Dougherty, who has worked on Godzilla: King of the Monsters and the beloved cult favorite, Trick r' Treat. Gordon Green's last film credit that he directed was 2018's sequel to the original Halloween, which was critical and financial success for Blumhouse, grossing an impressive $255 million worldwide on a modest budget of just $10 million.
The last anyone heard of the Hellraiser franchise was when a new film reboot was announced with David Goyer and Spyglass Media Group developing it. They had chosen writers Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski to crack the story and hired David Bruckner to direct, most known for his work on V/H/S. While other details about the project have remained shrouded in mystery, Spyglass has stated that their new take will be "loyal, yet evolved."
Gordon Green's directorial talents will next be seen in the Halloween sequel, Halloween Kills. The film will once again star Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode, as she once again crosses paths with and battles the infamous Michael Myers. Though plot details for the film are scarce at this time, writer Scott Teems has stated he thinks the sequel is going to be more intense than its predecessor. Gordon Green has proven to be a genre chameleon over the years, directing broad comedies, such as Your Highness and Pineapple Express, and indie dramas Stronger and Joe.
If there is one horror icon that deserves a much needed reinvention, it's Pinhead. Though the character made a strong first impression with his first two films, the mythology and storytelling of the sequels were a significant step down. David Gordon Green, who has done a wonderful job making Michael Myers horrifying again, can no doubt provide the same service for this beloved horror character. He's proven to be adept in the horror genre, so seeing him broaden his horizons further within that playground is terrific to see. Audiences will have to wait and see if he can pull off another successful reimagining when Hellraiser makes its debut on HBO.