A little over a week ago I told you how word around the net was that MARTYRS director Pascal Laugier was in talks to direct the new HELLRAISER film. This news hadn’t been confirmed though… until now.
Today The Hollywood Reporter are confirming the good word that Laugier is in final negotiations to not only direct the film, but he’ll be writing it too! So it looks like the former to be attached to the flick, including writers/directors Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo along with writers Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton, are all OUT. Replacing these four men will be Pascal Laugier. Laugier will be the sixth writer attached, behind Melton, Dunstan, Maury and Bustillo. Interesting, right? I find it pretty cool that Dimension figured to boot 4 guys out the door and bring in a single man to re-do everything. Seems like that might be a lot of pressure on Laugier’s shoulders, so it’ll be interesting to see how he does.
THR points out that Laugier’s MARTYRS has some major similarities with the original HELLRAISER, stating how both films start with a revenge filled plot and get into some supernatural horror, with torture (very unlike the ‘torture porn’ subgenre) as a center. Laugier had the following to say regarding the project:
“This is a dream project for me. I know Clive Barker’s work very well, and I would never betray what he has done. Fans are expecting a definitive ‘Hellraiser,’ and I don’t want to take that away from them.”
Sounds good to me. Another thing I find interesting is that aside from Melton and Dunstan, Dimension seem to be looking outside the US for filmmakers. Intriguing approach. In case your just becoming a fan of the genre (heh), let me tell you a bit about HELLRAISER. It’s arguably Clive Barker’s most notable tale that centers on an unfaithful wife who attempts to assist her dead lover in his escape from hell. Of course the film was the debut of horror movie icon ‘Pinhead,’ but his role was small in the original film. No telling how big of a role he’ll have in this re-imagining, but we’ll keep you updated.
