Hellraiser redo

1
originally mentioned here, more details emerge:
THR wrote:'Hellraiser' redo in Laugier's hands
Writer-director to help realize Dimension's relaunch

Pascal Laugier, whose horror film "Martyrs" stirred controversy in his native France, is in final negotiations to write and direct Dimension's re-imagining of "Hellraiser," one of horrormeister Clive Barker's best-known creations.

Released in 1987, "Hellraiser" told the story of an unfaithful wife who attempts to assist her dead lover in his escape from hell. The movie introduced viewers to a race of demons called Cenobites, most notably one nicknamed Pinhead -- who became one of the most enduring horror characters of the decade -- who was summoned using an antique puzzle box.

Dimension has been hoping to relaunch the franchise for the past couple of years, first hiring Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo to write and direct a remake then tapping Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton to write a new draft.

ICM-repped Laugier at least seems to have thematic sympathies with the material, with his "Martyrs" beginning as a revenge movie then entering the grounds of spiritual horror, with torture figuring as a focal point. Torture -- though not the so-called horror subgenre of torture porn -- also is a key point in "Hellraiser."

"This is a dream project for me," Laugier said. "I know Clive Barker's work very well, and I would never betray what he has done. Fans are expecting a definitive 'Hellraiser,' and I don't want to take that away from them."

"Martyrs" has been dividing audiences since appearing at the Festival de Cannes because of its unrelenting violent nature. The movie was hit with a 18+ rating -- a rarity in France and an equivalent of NC-17 in the U.S. -- sparking a protest by the country's Society of Film Directors.

At the Toronto International Film Festival, several people reportedly fainted during its midnight screenings. The Weinstein Co. is the domestic distributor, but no dates have been announced.

The remake is part of Dimension chief Bob Weinstein's master plan.

"If I could make all my films from franchises, I would," the Weinstein Co. co-chairman said at the recent Media and Money conference in New York. At the event, presented by Dow Jones and the Nielsen Co., parent company of The Hollywood Reporter, he rattled off a list of other films that he hopes to continue sequelizing, including "Scream" and "Scary Movie."
that last paragraph makes me queezy. ugh. cringe-worthy.

has anyone seen Martyrs?

Re: Hellraiser redo

2
Geez, couldn't they just, you know, pick up one of the hundred or so other things Barker's written and give them a spin? Remake fever in Hollywood is going to turn me into some klimov-y style foreign film curmudgeon if this keeps up.
"I'm like a dog chasing cars, I wouldn't know what to do if I caught one. . . . I'm not a schemer. I just do things."

Re: Hellraiser redo

3
Alexhead wrote:Geez, couldn't they just, you know, pick up one of the hundred or so other things Barker's written and give them a spin? Remake fever in Hollywood is going to turn me into some klimov-y style foreign film curmudgeon if this keeps up.
if it weren't for the batman films, i'd be agreeing with you whole-heartedly. those give the slightest glimmer of hope.

i mean, while still drastically unnecessary, it might not completely blow.

Hellraiser [2022]

4
yes, another reboot. thing is, this is clive barker's idea. oh, and he's writing and directing it again. with practical effects. and doug bradley.
Clive Barker's FB wrote:HOT FROM HELL! 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.What can I tell you about it?Well, 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. So once the papers are signed , I will open a Lemarchand Configuration,dip my quill in its contents and start writing . I promise that there will be nowhere on the Internet where the news of my progress will be more reliable than here ,because the only author of these reports will be Your Infernal Corespondent ,me. My very best wishes to you
all,my friends.
Clive.
Last edited by TC on 09/10/22, 08:04:21, edited 2 times in total.
Reason: Changed year in title

Re: Hellraiser [201x]

6
Bloody Disgusting wrote:Hulu’s ‘Hellraiser’ Movie Rated “R” for “Strong Bloody Violence” and “Graphic Nudity”!

Pinhead and his Cenobites are plotting a big return, with two brand new Hellraiser projects in the works. First up is a new movie for Hulu, which has received its “R” rating this week.

David Bruckner (The Night House), who helmed Netflix’s The Ritual as well as sections of Bloody Disgusting’s horror anthologies V/H/S and Southbound, is directing the relaunch of the Hellraiser franchise for Spyglass Media, set to be a Hulu feature film written by Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski (SiREN, Super Dark Times, The Night House).

“Sense8” actress Jamie Clayton is playing the Hell Priest in the new movie.

Hulu’s Hellraiser has been rated “R” for some very Hellraiser Things, including…

“Strong bloody horror violence and gore, language throughout, some sexual content, and brief graphic nudity.”

We don’t yet have a date, but Hellraiser will debut as a Hulu Original. Stay tuned.

The project is being described as a “loyal, yet evolved re-imagining of Clive Barker’s 1987 horror classic,” and the best possible news is that Clive Barker is on board as a producer.

Additionally, a “Hellraiser” television series is in the works at HBO. Last we heard, David Gordon Green (Halloween, Halloween Kills) is directing the pilot and “several more initial episodes” of the HBO series, and Michael Dougherty (Trick ‘r Treat, Krampus, Godzilla: King of the Monsters) is writing alongside Mark Verheiden (“Battlestar Galactica”).

Clive Barker will be executive producing that Hellraiser project as well.

Re: Hellraiser [2022]

9
It was ok. Very underwhelming for what could have been. The soundtrack borrows heavily from the Chris Young original and more from the superior sequel version, but bastardizes it in such a way that it almost seems happy rather than menacing and powerful. It became a huge distraction for me. Also, some apparently key scenes are so fucking dark there is no way to tell what’s going on. Eventually, maybe 15 minutes later, someone turns on a light and you try to fill in the blanks of what happened via current context. Too much exposition from the Cenobites takes away their power. The ending was…well, I’m not sure what the ending was, but I assume the idea is setting up a sequel, which I’m sure will be full of even more exposition trying to explain a mythology no one asked for.