1 Original Hellraiser Character Return Can Solve The Biggest Mystery From The 2022 Reboot

One original Hellraiser star has opened up about a possible return to the franchise, and if it happens, it could solve the biggest mystery left by the 2022 reboot. The trend of reboots and sequels in the horror genre has revived some of the most popular horror franchises, among them the Hellraiser franchise. The Hellraiser movie series kicked off in 1987 with the movie of the same name, directed by Clive Barker and based on his novella The Hellbound Heart. The franchise is now formed by 11 movies, the most recent one a reboot with a new version of the Cenobites’ leader.

Directed by David Bruckner, Hellraiser 2022 introduced Riley McKendry (Odessa A’zion), a young woman recovering from substance use disorder who found the Lament Configuration, opening a gateway to Hell and letting the Cenobites in. Among them was the Priest (Jamie Clayton), the leader of the Cenobites known by the audience as “Pinhead”. Hellraiser 2022 was well-received by critics and general audiences, and though the future of a sequel is unknown, an original Hellraiser star has shared their views on a potential return – and if it happens, this could solve a huge Pinhead mystery left by the reboot.

Related

Why Jamie Clayton’s Pinhead Is Named Priest In Hellraiser 2022

Despite Pinhead being the popular name used to refer to the lead Cenobite in the Hellraiser series, the character is not called that in the reboot.

Doug Bradley’s Pinhead Return Can Explain Jamie Clayton’s Role In The Franchise

Before the 2022 Hellraiser reboot movie, Pinhead had only been played by male actors. Doug Bradley played the leader of the Cenobites in the first eight Hellraiser movies, with Stephan Smith Collins taking over the role in Hellraiser: Revelations and Paul T. Taylor playing Pinhead in Hellraiser: Judgment. Jamie Clayton is the first actress to play the Priest/Pinhead, which raised questions about her place in the Hellraiser universe, what happened to Bradley’s version, and Pinhead’s role as the leader of the Cenobites.

The Hellraiser movies explained that Pinhead was once a British soldier named Captain Elliott Spencer, who after becoming disillusioned with life and humanity during World War I, summoned the Cenobites and ended up joining them. Clayton’s version of Pinhead implies that this could be a role that can be fulfilled by others, which is in line with Barker’s Hellraiser comics. In them, it’s implied that Spencer wasn’t the first Priest and thus others can be recruited to fill the role if Pinhead leaves or is destroyed. In the novel The Scarlet Gospels, it’s debated if there has always been one Priest or if this is a role that has been given to other humans-turned-Cenobites for centuries.

Now, Doug Bradley has opened up about a return to the Hellraiser franchise after all these years (via Bloody Disgusting). Bradley said he isn’t closed to the possibility of playing Pinhead again, but he would like the character to be aware of the time that has passed, so he would be up for playing “an older, darker Pinhead”. Bradley’s return could explain how Clayton’s Pinhead fits into the Hellraiser franchise by staying true to Barker’s world and revealing that the Priest is a role that can be fulfilled by others as needed, similar to what the Candyman reboot did with the title character.

Will There Be A Sequel To Hellraiser 2022?

As mentioned above, Hellraiser 2022 was well-received by critics and viewers, calling it one of the best Hellraiser movies since Barker’s original one. It’s not surprising, then, that speculation about a potential sequel didn’t take long to happen, and in 2023, Bruckner expressed interest in a Hellraiser sequel, but it hasn’t been greenlit yet. It’s unknown why a sequel to the Hellraiser reboot hasn’t been announced after the success of Bruckner’s film, and there aren’t plans for a standalone sequel or any other type of continuation, either, so Pinhead’s biggest mystery will continue for the foreseeable future.

Source: Bloody Disgusting.

Hellraiser

Both a reimagining and a new novella adaptation of Clive Barker’s The Hellbound Heart, Hellraiser is a new film exclusively arriving on Hulu. In this film, a young woman struggling with addiction somehow stumbles upon a puzzle box from ages past. By solving this puzzle, she will summon the Cenobites, supernatural beings with a love of sadism and who believe the line is blurred between pain and pleasure. 

Director

David Bruckner

Release Date

October 7, 2022

Cast

Jamie Clayton , Goran Visnjic , Odessa A’Zion , Hiam Abbass , Brandon Flynn