'Hellraiser' TV Series Will Tear Your Soul Apart

Word recently broke that a Hellraiser remake was on the way from David S. Goyer. But that's not the only plan for Pinhead and his pain-loving pals. There's also a Hellraiser TV series in the works. Details are vague at the moment, but the plan is to either build on the mythology from the films and create either an anthology series, or a more traditional show with an ongoing narrative. That could work, but I have one pressing question: will the DJ cenobite who shoots killer CDs be featured?

Deadline reports that It producer Roy Lee and Ready Player One producer Dan Farah are set to open up a demonic puzzle box and unleash a Hellraiser TV series onto the world. There's no network (or streaming service) in place yet. Nor is there even a story. We just know that the rights have been finalized, and a Hellraiser TV series is now more likely than ever.

The show could either have an ongoing storyline, or be set-up as an anthology. No matter what happens, you can bet the series will involve the Cenobites, the demonic S&M fans straight out of hell. Hellraiser began its life as the novella The Hellbound Heart, written by Clive Barker. Barker then adapted the story into the 1987 film Hellraiser. The horror movie would spawn an entire franchise, with diminishing returns. At the time of this story, there are 10 Hellraiser films, and most of them are kind of awful – although not without their macabre charms.

The main Hellraiser story concerns a puzzle box that has the power to open a gateway to hell, unleashing a horde of demons obsessed with flesh and pain. The leader of the gang is Pinhead, a mysterious figure that became instantly iconic before being turned into a wise-cracking boogeyman similar to Freddy Krueger.

In May of this year, word came that Batman Begins writer David S. Goyer was working on a Hellraiser remake. "I've been a fan of Clive's work since the original Books of Blood paperbacks and The Hellbound Heart novella," Goyer said at the time. "Having the chance to reimagine Pinhead and the Cenobites for a new audience is a nightmare-come-true...we're committed to making something dark and visceral." This remake movie is unlikely to have anything to do with the Hellraiser TV series, other than sharing a title and familiar characters/plot elements.

There's plenty of mythology for a Hellraiser TV series to draw on, and in the right hands, this might turn out to be worth watching. In any case, it's bound to be better than the last three or four films in the franchise.