Not much is known about David Bruckner’s upcoming reimaging of Clive Barker’s Hellraiser.
But with the October release looming on Hulu, we caught up with production designer and prolific collaborator of Bruckner, Kathrin Eder to spill the beans on this new take on The Hellbound Heart.
You had worked on David Bruckner’s previous work, so was it a natural fit to sign on for Hellraiser?
David and I enjoyed our first collaboration on The Night House, I was honoured and thrilled that he asked me to join his team for Hellraiser. After receiving studio approval with an interview presentation, we were able to move forward raising hell.
Did it feel daunting to take on such a renowned horror classic?
As a designer, I thoroughly enjoy putting myself on others’ shoes. I approach each project with a similar sense of adventure, curiosity and excitement. While I was aware of the huge cult following, the story and world of the screenplay was so layered and rich that I naturally wanted to bring my very best to the table. That being said, there were definitely moments when I double-checked to be sure that we went about the design in a way that honors the classics.
What was your remit from David in terms of how he wanted the film to look?
David and I can talk for hours while breaking down the backstory and beats of the scripts. These conversations are the foundation of how we develop the world for the film. David has a clear vision; what makes the collaboration with him so exquisite is his willingness to ask and answers a ton of questions. We leave no stone unturned, so to speak. I have great respect for his approach to filmmaking. In regards to Hellraiser, it was a beast of world building, logistical challenges for the mechanical sets and action sequences, practical and post effects … There were several designers in several departments: creature design ( Keith Thompson) hero prop design (Martin Emborg) mechanical set transformations ( Patrick Horwath) and VFX ( Jacob Eaton) just to name a few. Cinematographer Eli Born also developed elaborate lighting designs. I think the collaboration between all of us was what made this project so exciting and rewarding. David has a cool way of bringing people together.
While it is based on the same original text, I get the feeling this will be a fresh look at the Hellraiser mythos, would that be correct?
Fresh perspectives were certainly on top of the list.
Can you tell us what it was like filming in Serbia?
There are a lot of talented people in Serbia. It was very busy at the time we got there since covid essentially caused a production traffic jam. We faced some challenges making a movie with specific location needs, set in a country of english language, since Serbia has limited options in regards to the locations we were looking. This however led us to build a lot of the set pieces and heavily alter existing locations in order to stitch together our hero set holding the elegance we envisioned for it and the film.
We know very little about the film just over a month from its release, do you think fans will be surprised by this take on Hellraiser?
Oh, we have such sights to show you! … I hope fans and other audiences alike will have a thrilling experience, I personally can’t wait to see the cenobites on the screen myself. I wish we could all see it on the big screen!
Do you feel your film will open up the world to more Hellraiser movies?
I really enjoy the stories from Clive Barker, I think this film specifically will do The Hellbound Heart justice with David at the reigns. I continually fall in love with production design since every story is a journey into the unknown that we get the chance to discover and to know intimately. Hellraiser is certainly one of a kind when it comes to horror, I can only hope that the cenobites will continue into the future.
Did the crew have any interactions with Clive Barker?
Yes, mainly David interacted with Clive. There may or may not be some easter eggs in the movie that you’ll want to look out for 😉 We did our best to honour his vision and I’m sure more info for emerging as the film gets released into the world.
What can you tell us about Jamie Clayton’s performance?
I was impressed from what I saw on the dailies. As the production designer, I spend very little time on set past opening it for the camera crew to work. Then I continue onward to complete the set for the days ahead. Covid regulations further complicated the set intimacy and relationships we usually build. Jamie is a pro and I’m certain mastered a beautiful performance.
Hellraiser is released on Hulu on 7 October.
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