Pinhead pops again in "Hellraiser" remake

By Borys Kit

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Following the recent success of the "Halloween" remake, Dimension Films is resurrecting "Hellraiser," one of horrormeister's Clive Barker's best-known creations.

The Weinstein Co.'s genre arm has hired French filmmakers Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo to write and direct the remake.

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.

Based on Barker's critically acclaimed novella "The Hellbound Heart," "Hellraiser" was written and directed by Barker and spawned a lucrative film franchise.

Maury and Bustillo come to the project on the strength of their film debut "Inside," a supernatural thriller about a pregnant woman who loses her boyfriend in a car crash and subsequently is violently haunted by a mysterious woman. Weinstein/Dimension bought the distribution rights this year.

The filmmakers said they had the blessing of Barker to reappropriate his story and also had a playful message to any horror fans aghast at the idea of a remake, "No tears, please; it's a waste of good remaking!"

Dimension's "Halloween" remake, meanwhile, directed by Rob Zombie, grossed more than $57 million. Elsewhere in the horror genre, Michael Bay's Platinum Dunes banner is bringing back the "Friday the 13th" franchise.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter