Lussier and Farmer’s ‘Hellraiser’ Treatments Reviewed

Back in 2011, director Patrick Lussier and writer Todd Farmer (the filmmakers behind My Bloody Valentine and Drive Angry) were hired by Dimension Films to come up with an idea for a Hellraiser reboot. Unfortunately, the project never went anywhere like many of the other attempts by Dimension to get a remake off the ground. But I’ve always been curious about their version because I’m a big fan of their previous work. As time passed, I believed we’d never learn anything about the film they wanted to make.

That’s until today when Bloody Disgusting columnist Brad Miska exclusively shared reviews for two treatments by Lussier and Farmer that revealed the direction they wanted to take the franchise. It was nice to learn that they were not only going to make a sequel to Barker’s original film, but some of the other films in the franchise too. They also wanted to bring Doug Bradley back as Pinhead as well!

After reading the reviews I definitely found the first treatment to be more satisfying as a fan of the series. The overall story seemed to be in line with the themes of Hellraiser. I liked the way Pinhead was going to be used sparingly throughout the story and I believe his main introduction would’ve been a shock for the audience. There were also new elements that I think would’ve worked in expanding the mythology of the franchise especially the TOYBREAKERS who are a secret group of devoted individuals who dedicate their lives to finding and destroying gateways to Hell. They also introduced a group of new Cenobites called the LO-BITES in a hospital scene that sounded pretty crazy. Finally, the ending took a turn that I didn’t expect and I think female fans of the franchise would’ve really loved it!

The second treatment apparently was more “teen friendly“ and it didn’t sound as interesting either. It has a ridiculous opening scene on a plane that sounds like it belongs in a Final Destination movie than a Hellraiser film. The only good thing I can say about it is that I liked how they used Pinhead again and the ending would’ve been a nice twist for the audience.

To read the full reviews of the treatments follow the link below:

I’ve Read the ‘Hellraiser’ Treatments by Todd Farmer and Patrick Lussier [Exclusive]

After so many years I’m glad I’ve finally been able to get a glimpse into what Lussier and Farmer had in store for the franchise. While it’s hard to say which version we would’ve been given, I think they really wanted to respect Clive Barker and the fan base.

Thanks to Bloody Disgusting and Brad Miska.