Clive Barker Scripting HELLRAISER Franchise Reboot, Will Keep Doug Bradley As Pinhead

Clive Barker still has such sights to show you and he is getting that chance. The horror author will be writing the screenplay for a relaunch of the Hellraiser franchise which he created by scripting and directing the original 1987 classic.

Barker made the announcement on his Facebook page –

My friends,I have some news which may be of interest to you. A few weeks ago I had a very productive meeting with Bob Weinstein of Dimension Pictures,in the course of which I pitched a remake of the first HELLRAISER film. The idea of my coming back to the original film and telling the story with a fresh intensity-honoring the structure and the designs from the first incarnation but hopefully creating an even darker and richer film-was attractive to Dimension. Today I have officially been invited to write the script based upon that pitch.

He further goes on to stress that he will champion the use of practical makeup and special effects over computer-generated imagery and that franchise star Doug Bradley, the demonic Phinhead himself, will be back.

it will not be a film awash with CGI. I remain as passionate about the power of practical make-up effects as I was when I wrote and directed the first HELLRAISER. Of course the best make-up in the world loses force if not inhabited by a first-rate actor. I told the Dimension team that in my opinion there could never be a Pinhead without Doug Bradley,and much to my delight Bob Weinstein agreed.

Although the original Hellraiser is considered a classic, the franchise itself steadily declined over time to the point where the last four installments of the nine films in the series were released directly to video.

Dimension has been trying to inject some new life into the franchise for some time now, though i=when it was reported that their last attempt was being targeted for a PG-13 rating, many fans were glad that that version didn’t come to pass. Barker himself assured that “Dimension confirmed that they are purely interested in an R rated picture.”

Sounds like Barker could be the shot in the arm that the franchise needs.