A Hellraiser series is in the works at HBO, with David Gordon Green on board to direct the pilot and several more episodes.
In a story first reported by Deadline, the HBO series will serve as an “elevated continuation and expansion” and not necessarily a remake of the Hellraiser horror franchise.
The series will be written by Mark Verheiden (Daredevil, Heroes, Battlestar Gallactica) and Michael Dougherty (Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Trick r’ Treat). They will serve as executive producers alongside David Gordon Green, Danny McBride, Dan Farah, Roy Lee, Lawrence Kuppin, David Salzman, Eric Gardner, Jody Hill, and Brandon James. Adam Salzman & Andrew Farah will also serve as co-executive producers.
Based on Clive Barker’s novel The Hellbound Heart, Hellraiser follows Pinhead and his ally of humans-turned-demons known as Cenobites as they harvest human souls and keep the balance between good and evil.
The first Hellraiser film written and directed by Barker was released in 1987 and has since developed a cult following from horror fans. It received an X rating from the MPAA before its release and was banned by the Ontario Film and Video Review Board in Canada due to graphic violence. The film stars Doug Bradley, Andrew Robinson, Clare Higgins, Ashley Laurence, Sean Chapman, Robert Hines, Oliver Smith, and Simon Bamford.
The Hellraiser franchise currently has 10 films spanning over 3 decades and has made over $55 million in the box office, with 2018’s Hellraiser: Judgment as the most recent film. 2000’s Hellraiser: Inferno, the fifth entry of the franchise, was one of the earlier directorial efforts of Scott Derrickson before becoming one of Hollywood’s most prolific filmmakers, helming Sinister (2012) and Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange (2016).
An upcoming film remake unrelated to the HBO project is also in development from David S. Goyer, who will write and co-produce the movie. David Bruckner (Night House) is attached to direct the film.
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