Clive Barker is not done with Hellraiser. Speaking with Dread Central to celebrate the release of the new video game Clive Barker's Hellraiser: Revival, the writer and filmmaker said the game should serve as a wake-up call for the people behind the franchise, and that he has a stack of ideas he would love to bring to future Hellraiser films. The interview ran earlier this week (October 15th), one week after the game launched.
"I think what was achieved in the game is a wake-up call to anyone who's been involved in the making of a franchise like Hellraiser," Barker said. "It says to get your ideas warmed over so you can go back into existing worlds in a brand new way. I have many ideas that I'd like to see realized in the Hellraiser universe, and I'm planning to keep my fingers in that pie."
The game comes from Saber Interactive and Boss Team Games, with Doug Bradley returning as Pinhead. Here is the official launch trailer:
Barker Has Film Ideas Waiting In The Wings
Barker was clear that he is not announcing a movie adaptation of the game. He did confirm he has been collecting darker Hellraiser stories in note form, and said he would love another shot at the films. "I think Hellraiser is a mythology that could be given some real space to develop and expand upon myth," he said. "We're doing some of that in the new comic books, but I'd love to go further in the movies."
He added, "But yes, I have a lot of ideas that I've kept waiting in the wings to get going as Hellraiser films and in other media." Barker pointed to a visit to Rome and the Vatican as a major source of inspiration, from the paintings and sculptures to the darker history of the Inquisition, and said that imagery could feed into his vision of Hell. He also named the Italian horror classics Black Sunday and Suspiria as influences, and shared that Lucio Fulci once told him how much he loved Hellraiser.
Barker Takes Aim At The Weinstein Era
The most pointed part of the conversation was about the sequels made without him. Barker regained his U.S. copyright interests in The Hellbound Heart and his original Hellraiser screenplay, effective December 2021, and he said that freedom meant more to him personally than legally. "It meant that I never had to go into Bob Weinstein's office and hear him admit that he owed me money but wouldn't give it to me unless I gave him another Hellraiser script," Barker alleged.
He was also critical of the business behind many of the later films. "There are many of the Hellraiser movies that were made by the Weinstein brothers that were created simply to hold onto the rights," he said. "Over time they spent less and less on them. A lot of amazing creative people got worked over as a consequence." Barker placed the blame on the system and kept it off the filmmakers, saying, "It's not the fault of the writers and directors, but just the way the system works in some cases. It's a sad thing."
He made it clear he will not go back to that kind of arrangement. "The compromises you have to make and the battles you have to have are totally exhausting, unnecessary, and not something I will entertain ever again," he said.
Why The Game Won Him Over
Barker's excitement about the future comes from how much he likes the game itself. In the first part of the interview, published the day before (October 14th), he admitted he had worried the project would be watered down. "I was fearful at one point that the game would be overly censored but I'm genuinely astonished by how far they've been able to push it," he said. He also called the quality and defiance of the game "extraordinary," and summed up his feelings with a line that needs a censor: "I'm proud as f*** at the end result."
Having Bradley back was a big part of that. Barker said "Doug is Pinhead and Pinhead is Doug," and explained that the two have been best friends since Bradley was 14, working in theater together for years before the first movie. He even said Bradley could have played James Bond in another universe, thanks to his mix of malice and charm.
Where The Hellraiser Movies Stand
The most recent Hellraiser film is David Bruckner's 2022 reimagining for Hulu, which cast Jamie Clayton as the Hell Priest. Bradley played Pinhead in the 1987 original and many of the sequels that followed, which is why his return in Revival has meant so much to longtime fans.
For now, Hellraiser: Revival is the main way to step back into Barker's world. It is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2. Barker also said he is looking forward to working with the game's team again on other projects, so this may not be the last time he and Boss Team Games collaborate.
Would you rather see Clive Barker get another shot at a Hellraiser movie, or should the franchise keep building on what Revival started in games?
Sound off with your thoughts in the comments below.