Almost 40 years after author and director Clive Barker adapted his novel The Hellbound Heart into the classic feature-length horror Hellraiser, the dreaded Cenobites return. With David Bruckner‘s reimagining premiering this October on Hulu, a lot of buzz has been generating over where the reboot will take this lascivious lore, and of course, over the brand-new redesign for the lead Cenobite, Pinhead, portrayed by actress Jamie Clayton. According to the OG Hell Priest, English actor Doug Bradley, 2022’s Pinhead concept is mind-blowing.
Bradley, though his career extends over decades’ worth of film and television, is already a legend in his time. Having donned the elaborate visage of the Cenobites’ mouthpiece and leader across eight films, beginning with 1987’s Hellraiser, there’s no question he knows the character inside and out. A close friend of Barker, who serves as a producer for the remake, Bradley was offered the role of Pinhead as his first-ever feature-length film debut. As the sadomasochistic extra-dimensional being, Bradley delivered a performance that was otherworldly and sophisticated, with a calm demeanor not typically befitting what audiences regarded as a demon.
At this year’s Silver Scream Con, as reported by Bloody Disgusting, the actor was asked about the upcoming reboot and Bruckner’s decision to cast a female Pinhead, to which he responded, “Everything about Hellraiser has always been transgressive…It’s not a new idea in that sense, but I’m intrigued… to see where that goes.” Naturally, Bradley’s opinion holds weight for many long-time fans of the franchise after his years of dedication to the role. Upon seeing the redesign, Bradley had nothing but wonderful things to say of Clayton’s look, and took to his personal Twitter to praise it, saying:
“I’m a bit blown away by this! The clever re-design of the make-up; the shimmer of the “pin heads”; the palette; whatever that keyhole/locket/tracheotomy thing is at the throat. It’s simple, subtle, disturbing and sexy. Everything it should be. Peace and Pain, Doug”
The reboot, a Spyglass Media and Hulu Original film, is a screenplay adapted by Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski from a story penned by David S. Goyer (The Dark Knight), all of whom worked with Bruckner on the critically acclaimed The Night House. In an interview with Collider’s Alyse Wax, the director described Hellraiser as an expansion on Barker’s vast universe, exploring a new story within the “dense and layered material.” Not to be confused with a continuation of the previous ten installments, the 2022 adaptation follows a young woman struggling with addiction when she encounters the mysterious Lament Configuration, a puzzle box that has the power to open Earth’s realm to the Cenobites. These sadistic beings are led by the Hell Priestess, Pinhead (Clayton), who when summoned, intentionally or otherwise, reaps what is sown.
As for Clayton and how she’s feeling about portraying an iconic pillar of the horror film genre, she did, of course, acknowledge Bradley, as well. When Wax asked the actress whether there was any anxiety about stepping into the role, she admitted, “a copious amount… I mean Doug is iconic. No one can fill those gorgeous blood-soaked shoes, they’re too big to fill. So David and I just had many conversations about what this version would be, and what she would look like, and what she would sound like, and what her motivations were.” From Bradley’s assessment of the new design Clayton will certainly look the part. As for her portrayal, she describes her mindset as “incredibly dark” and “sensual,” which sounds like she hit the nail on the head.
Joining Clayton’s Hellraiser will be Odessa A’zion, Adam Faison, Drew Starkey, Brandon Flynn, Aoife Hinds, Jason Liles, Yinka Olorunnife, Selina Lo, Zachary Hing, Kit Clarke, with Goran Visnjic and Hiam Abbass.
Hellraiser premieres exclusively on Hulu on October 7. You can watch the trailer below:
