With “Hellraiser: Judgment” now in post-production, we’re finally getting our long-awaited first look at the new Pinhead. While many fans are upset at the loss of longtime actor Doug Bradley in the iconic role, in Hollywood, the show must go on. Dimension Films tapped stage actor Paul Taylor for the role.
With his tall frame and imposing baritone voice, the classically trained Taylor looks to bring some gravitas to an already beloved character. For those who may not know, Pinhead (a nickname given to the character by the first film’s crew, as the hellish creatures originally had no individual names) is the leader of the Cenobites, a group of grotesquely deformed, leather-clad demons who bring pain to the wicked.
They are unleashed by solving an intricate puzzle box, known as the Lament Configuration. From there, they take their victims back to their realm, a monastery at the center of a labyrinthine maze ruled over by an abstract demon known as Leviathan.
Their devotion to pain is disturbing to say the least, but there is a certain black morality to their tortures, since they are visited upon the worst sinners. (Over the course of the previous nine films, their methods and reasons have been somewhat fluid, but we’re trusting that the current filmmakers are keeping their word, and bringing the Cenobite mythology closer to its origins.)
First Look at New Pinhead in Hellraiser: Judgment https://t.co/aADgBNwZba #HellraiserJudgment pic.twitter.com/BKE9bu9Bmh
— Movieweb (@movieweb) July 27, 2016
Source: Bloody Disgusting
So. Now that you’re up to date on the eternally terrifying history of Pinhead, what do you think of the casting change? Do you believe that Taylor will be able to fill the massive shoes of Bradley, or perhaps even step out of his shadow? Let us know in the comments!