The ‘Hellraiser’ Reboot Will Feature a Female Pinhead
The future (of Pinhead) is female.
There is a new reboot of the Hellraiser franchise coming soon to the Hulu streaming service. The film will be directed by David Bruckner, whose previous work includes The Signal, V/H/S, and the recent horror hit The Night House. While it’s based on the same Clive Barker novella that inspired the entire ten-film Hellraiser saga, this one comes from a story by Blade and The Dark Knight writer David S. Goyer.
The details of the plot haven’t been revealed yet, but the film will have at least one significant change from the previous Hellraiser formula: The ubiquitous Pinhead, played by Doug Bradley in film after film, will now be portrayed by transgender actress Jamie Clayton, who appeared in Sense8 and The L Word: Generation Q.
Here was Clive Barker’s comment on the news, via Deadline:
Having seen some of the designs from David Bruckner’s new Hellraiser film, they pay homage to what the first film created, but then take it to places it’s never been before. This is a Hellraiser on a scale that I simply didn’t expect. David and his team are steeped in the story’s mythology, but what excites me is their desire to honor the original even as they revolutionize it for a new generation.
The rest of the cast of the reboot includes Goran Visnjic, Odessa A’zion, Brandon Flynn, Drew Starkey, and Hiam Abbass. The choice of Clayton is a bold one that separates the new Hellraiser from the old ones. And when you’re creating a reboot, different is very good.