By Josh Taylor
David Bruckner’s Hellraiser is a brand new film streaming as part of Hulu’s annual Huluween. If you are a fan of the film franchise that started in 1987, you might be surprised that this film, which is not a sequel but a remake, veers slightly from the long running series of movies. I had a chance to sit down with actor Adam Faison who told me, “ Bruckner really focused on going back to the original source material so it felt less daunting to try to like live up to a legacy of the films.” The source material Faison mentions is the 1984 novella The Hellbound Heart. This isn’t a complete shift away from the films fans are familiar with. Faison stated there would be easter eggs and the core ideas around the puzzle box still exist.
Another pleasant surprise is that this film, like the original, still uses more practical effects rather than CGI, something Faison was excited about. “ I love the tactile experience of getting to have something right in front of you. The puzzle boxes are all practical. David Bruckner spent a lot of time figuring out how to 3D print them so they could move in real time. There's nothing better than having the thing there with you to act opposite of.”
“I feel like this film was something that I was really looking forward to and it didn't disappoint, and I'm hoping that other people will really enjoy what we put together!” Faison’s enthusiasm for Hellraiser comes off the back of great critical response. The film currently has a perfect Rotten Tomatoes score of 100% and just premiered at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas and will play at Beyond Fest in Santa Monica, California before streaming on Hulu.
Faison hopes that people enjoy this film because it was a film many on set loved creating. He stated, “ I think they'll be excited about all the differences our film has while appreciating the nods to the original.”
Hellraiser will be available to stream on Hulu beginning October 7th, 2022.