“Hellraiser” has risen from the depths.
The franchise, which began with 1987’s Clive Barker-directed original (based on his novella), has returned. This time, a young woman (and, crucially, recovering addict) named Riley (Odessa A’zion) comes into possession of the cursed puzzle box and becomes a target for the Cenobites, ghoulish demons from another dimension, led by The Priest aka Pinhead (this time played by Jamie Clayton). It’s a terrifically smart reinvention of a franchise that has languished for far too long, aided by a whip-smart script by David S. Goyer, Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski and wonderful direction by David Bruckner (who worked with the same team on the underrated 2020 chiller “The Night House”).
TheWrap spoke to Bruckner and Clayton about what appealed to them about the property, their approach to the material and whether or not they’d return for future Cenobite-filled adventures.
What drew you to “Hellraiser” specifically?
David Bruckner: Well, I mean, Hellraiser has everything that I could ever love as a horror filmmaker. I mean, it’s surreal, it’s visceral, it’s psychological. It advances design. It’s absolutely terrifying. It’s mythic, it’s sci-fi, it’s ancient. It’s really, really dense, layered stuff. And I hold the franchise in such a high regard to be able to play with this, to make a “Hellraiser” movie is a dream come true.
Jamie Clayton: I watched the original the night before I auditioned. I hadn’t seen it before. When I saw it, I immediately was struck by how sexy it was because I don’t think that that’s a word that I would normally use to describe a horror film. But it was so sexy and it was unlike anything I’d ever seen before. And then reading up a bit on Clive and him being gay and the whole thing. And then when I read the script for this film, I was like, “Oh, shit. This is good.”
I didn’t think in a million years that I would ever get this part. I didn’t even want to audition because I was like, “I’m never going to get this. This is crazy. They’re never going to let me do this.” And my manager was like, “Don’t play casting director, just go tape it.” And I taped it and it was a blast. It was the most fun I’ve had taping an audition, I think, because I didn’t think I would get it. I just let go and just had fun with it. And then I sent it in and then I got a call back.
And then I worked with David and after the call back and working with David in that, there was nothing that was going to stop me from getting this part. I had so much fun in that call back, working with him, and just getting an idea of how it would be to work with him and what he wanted to do with the film. I was so impressed and so floored. I was like, I need to be a part of this man’s world and a part of this story, please.
David, what about Jamie’s audition or this conversation made you say, “Okay, she is Pinhead?”
David Bruckner: I mean, she scared the hell out of me first and foremost. But also, I didn’t know how to do it. Doug’s performance is so iconic and we knew we didn’t want to imitate it and that we had to let this go in its own direction. But I didn’t know what that would be. I didn’t know where it would take us.
And so looking at Jamie’s work, and I’d been a fan of her work, but seeing what she was doing with the character and the drop-in moments and the way she would lose herself was utterly fearless. And there was a transfixing quality to the way she would play with the words. And I always felt Hellraiser has this tension of it’s beautiful but terrifying. I can’t look away and yet I really should. And I felt that she had a way of luring us in.
Then the more we worked on it together, she was just down to explore different aspects of it. And she found sensuality in the character and I think a curiosity that I do think differentiates it a bit from Doug’s performance. She’s got a silky quality. You can find yourself getting pulled closer and then the hooks sink in. And I think it was obvious.
Jamie, I was going to ask if there was any nervousness with taking on this iconic role, but having seen the movie 24 hours before you auditioned, did that free you to just go in full force?
Jamie Clayton: I wanted to see the original because I wanted to just have a grasp of the tone. I wanted to understand the world that these characters lived in and just the idea, the overall tone and the feel. I’m very into the color palette, the music, all of those things.
And again, it being so sexy, I was trying to bring a bit of that sexiness to this. I mean, of course to fill Doug’s shoes would be impossible. I mean, they’re the biggest blood-soaked shoes in the business. And so wouldn’t try to emulate his performance in any way, shape or form. I really wanted to make it my own, with David’s ideas of what The Priest would be feeling or thinking or doing. And then with what I was able to do when I was in the costume and in the makeup. We got to this place. I mean, I was terrified, of course. But I think that we really did get to a place where it is really special and unique. And it pays homage to the world and this universe and these characters, but without trying to be anything but its own individual idea of who The Priest is.
There have been so many attempts at resurrecting “Hellraiser” over the last decade or so. David, did you look at any of that material while developing this version?
David Bruckner: No, I hadn’t followed any of the development. I have seen the movies and read a lot of the stories and some of the comic books and stuff. But no, I came into this David Goyer had a treatment and Ben and Luke had done one pass on that when I came in. I was finishing “Night House.” The Phantom Four team would sometimes tease it. They’d be like, “Hellraiser’s coming up.” And I said, “Just don’t even talk to me unless you’re going to talk to me about it. I’m not going to let this in until we’re really having the conversation.” And it was good because they got down the line a little bit on it. And then I was able to come in and go, “Okay, this is really fascinating what you’re doing.” And obviously, holding the franchise in a sacred regard. I think instantly I understood. I was like, “Okay, they’re doing this right.” I mean, they’re allowing this to be a new story in this world. It’s not an overt remake. And it’s taking some risks and that excited me and felt like it was in the spirit of the franchise.
“Hellraiser” is a franchise with a lot of sequels. Would you come back for more?
Jamie Clayton: I would. I mean, people haven’t even seen this one, so I’m just hoping that they like it. Let’s just cross this bridge first.
David Bruckner: It’s such a wonderful world to play in. Are you kidding? I mean, it’ll never get old. But look, this will not be the last Hellraiser movie. But if people like this movie and want us to keep going, of course, I would be honored.
“Hellraiser” is on Hulu now.
