Pinhead's Biggest Differences Between Hulu's Hellraiser And The 1987 Original Film

This post contains spoilers for "Hellraiser" (2022).

"Hellraiser" is one of the most recognizable horror franchises in the world today. While the story started out as a horror novella from British author Clive Barker, it ascended to the next level of popular culture thanks to the 1987 film written and directed by Barker himself. In the film, Doug Bradley portrayed the main Cenobite, who has become affectionately known as Pinhead due to the Hell Priest's prickly appearance. Bradley has become as synonymous with the character as Robert Englund has with Freddy Krueger. However, time stops for no one, so it was always likely the role would be recast somewhere down the line. Both Stephan Smith Collins and Paul T. Taylor portrayed the character once each in a film, while Jamie Clayton became the latest actor to take on the role of Pinhead in Hulu's 2022 "Hellraiser."

Directed by David Bruckner, with a story from Ben Collins, Luke Piotrowski, and David S. Goyer, the 2022 version of "Hellraiser" is the 11th entry in the franchise. However, it serves as something of a soft reboot as it tries to reimagine the premise — and Pinhead — for a new generation of fans. Naturally, there will be comparisons between Clayton and Bradley's portrayals of the lead Cenobite, as they share similarities but also differ greatly. So let's take a look at Pinhead's biggest differences between Hulu's "Hellraiser" and the 1987 original film.

It's funny how most people think of 1987's "Hellraiser" and the first thing that comes to mind is the Cenobites. From a visual point of view, it makes sense, since their designs are unique and eye-catching; however, their influence on the story is largely as ominous presences looming over proceedings rather than as active participants. In fact, "Hellraiser" is more about Frank convincing his brother's wife, Julia (Clare Higgins), to help him restore his regular appearance by feeding him victims. The Cenobites feature mostly in the film's opening scene and then again in the third act, but they aren't as in-your-face as some viewers might remember. According to director and writer Clive Barker's comments to The Guardian, Pinhead is only in the film for eight minutes in total.

Hulu's "Hellraiser" makes Pinhead and the hellish crew a part of the action as soon as they're introduced in the story by Riley solving the puzzle box. Down every dimly lit alleyway, in every shadowy part of town, the Cenobites are there, and they aren't looking to play "Monopoly" with Riley and her friends, that's for sure. While there may be an argument from some that Pinhead and the otherworldly peeps are overused in the new film compared to the original, "Hellraiser" understands the fans have come to see the Cenobites and their carnage and more than delivers in terms of their screen time.

The rules of the Lament Configuration, aka the puzzle box, are a little fuzzy in the "Hellraiser" universe. With so many movies and stories released, it's expected that there will be changes made to how it works and what are the parameters around its usage, depending on the filmmaker's desired interpretation. In Hulu's "Hellraiser," it's clear this version of the puzzle box is different from the previous incarnations and is far more mystical than it appears. By the looks of it, the Cenobites have a higher degree of control over it, too, being able to influence the configuration without having to touch it.

In 1987's "Hellraiser," Frank Cotton fiddles with the box and unlocks his doom. After Frank's torture, the box lies there in the same position in which Frank configured it until Pinhead arrives and resets it by hand. In the new version of the film, the box resets itself in Riley's hands while she speaks to the Cenobites at the end of the story. It begs the question: Can the puzzle box be configured by the mind or some other invisible force? If so, it's easy to see how sneaky the Cenobites could be in setting someone up to the configuration (and punishment) of their choice.

While Hulu's "Hellraiser" is deemed a soft reboot, it can also easily be considered a continuation of the series since it doesn't try to retread the same ground as the original movie. It doesn't even bother to retell the story of the Cotton family, as it focuses on a new group of victims characters. In the case of Pinhead, though, this latest version of the villain is more akin to the character created in Clive Barker's "The Hellbound Heart." The lead Cenobite is more androgynous in appearance, while the voice leans on the feminine side — both qualities the author alluded to when describing the being in the novella.

At the same time, director David Bruckner has pointed out that this version of Pinhead and Hulu's "Hellraiser" is simply the filmmaker's interpretation of the character and story, but there are no right or wrong versions. Speaking at a press event about the film (via Gizmodo), Bruckner stated: "I'm a big believer that, you know, movies are dreams and sometimes they present strange iterations of one another, and that we should just embrace that and kind of run with it. My suggestion to fans is to go into it not thinking exactly where it's fitting in the history of the series and to just experience the film."

The world of horror needs to move past the sympathetic villain trope. If someone is chasing other people around with a knife or machete or summoning interdimensional chains to tear limbs apart, there really is no reason to discover which childhood incident led the person to do such terrible deeds. They're simply bad people. More importantly, the film shouldn't try to portray the rogue as potentially nice or reasonable, depending on if the right person connects with them. This is how we get people falling in love with the likes of Jeffrey Dahmer or fictional characters like the Joker, believing they can change them and leading to a whole host of new societal problems.

In the original "Hellraiser" film, Kirsty Cotton is able to reason with Pinhead and the Cenobites, trading her uncle Frank for her own safety. Perhaps the Cenobites feel sorry for Kirsty in the moment or they want to slice and dice Frank more — regardless, Kirsty is able to save her own hide by appealing to reason and putting a new offer on the table. In Hulu's "Hellraiser," the rules are the rules, and they're always made clear from the start. If someone wants to escape the Cenobites, they need to sacrifice someone else in their stead. Even so, Pinhead and the crew aren't willing to sit around and negotiate terms. Either the person accepts their demands or they get ripped apart. No middle ground here.

The puzzle box in "Hellraiser" is certainly no Rubik's cube — regardless of which version of the film the viewer is watching. It's a devious, little creation that's meant to cause a magnitude of suffering and pain to those who fiddle with it. In 1987's "Hellraiser," as soon as a configuration is unlocked, there's a sudden shock and spark from the box, as hooks extend from it and sink into the user's skin. Case in point: Look at Frank, who had absolutely no chance of survival when he configures it. In theory, though, all it takes is the person turning the right combination and that's it; the person is a goner before they even know it.

Hulu's "Hellraiser" actually offers the user a semblance of a chance at survival. There are various configurations, but the puzzle box doesn't spark or shock like in the original film. Instead, a hidden blade shoots out of it. If the blade cuts the user, the blood spills onto the box and that activates the configuration. That being said, as long as the person avoids the blade altogether, they'll be okay since the disastrous sequence won't be fully activated. Ideally, if someone really wants to play with the puzzle box, they should really invest in robotic arms here, in order to avoid any potential accidents or triggering their own personal apocalypse.