"The Cenobites are jaw-dropping": David S. Goyer teases the Hellraiser reboot (currently filming)

In keeping with the Hellraiser theme we have going on—our deep dive through the franchise is currently up to Bloodline—I thought it would be worth considering the reboot which is currently filming. When we looked at Bloodline on the podcast, Matt asked me how I would reboot the franchise. My answer was that, in a money-doesn’t-matter hypothetical world, I would focus on The Scarlet Gospels novel that came out in 2015 and saw Harry D’Amour taking on Pinhead.

At the helm would be Guillermo del Toro, the soundtrack would be overseen by Trent Reznor (I think I also considered Slipknot (lot of money behind this one)) and taking over the role of Pinhead would be Doug Jones. And Harry D’Amour? Daniel Kaluuya, because he’s brilliant and I would like to see him battling Doug Jones.

I would love this film to exist, but alas the day, it doesn’t!

Let’s turn our attention to the film that does exist, or will exist when filing and post-production is completed.

This less hypothetical version is being directed by David Bruckner (The Ritual). Having also directed The Night House and sections of V/H/S and Southbound, Bruckner clearly has horror credentials. He’s earned his genre stripes and shown himself capable of moving fluidly through various subgenres. The Ritual is one of the best folk-horror films of recent years and I think you can see elements of how he’ll work well as the latest Hellraiser director.

No Guillermo, but that ship has probably sailed.

David S. Goyer, producer/writer on the production, hailed Bruckner as “a genius” as well as making some pretty bold statements about the film currently in production in an interview with Collider:

“I will say that we went back to the original novella for the source material, we’re really honoring Clive’s work,”

“The footage is terrifying and amazing, and the Cenobites are jaw-dropping”

Bold words, Dave, bold words. There is a touch of when metal bands telling you that their upcoming album is the heaviest thing they’ve ever recorded to his claims—the heaviest since their breakout album heralded for being heavier than a bag of elephants but…I want to believe. I really, really want to believe.

Hellraiser, as a franchise, has been through the wringer. It has thrown up truly brilliant films, truly awful films and has waded through straight-to-DVD years, but Clive Barker’s creations deserve another shot at gory glory.

Bruckner has such sights to show us and we can’t wait...