Actor Doug Bradley once led eight installments of the Hellraiser movie franchise as the iconic villain known as Pinhead. The films made since have attempted to recast him with each new iteration. Now, however, Doug Bradley clarifies he’d return as Pinhead for an adaptation of Clive Barker’s The Scarlet Gospels.
The Hellraiser brand first started as a novella written by Barker titled The Hellbound Heart. The story was faithfully adapted by Barker himself with his directorial debut – the 1987 film Hellraiser. Though he was involved with various projects under the franchise umbrella in the time since, it was 2015’s novel The Scarlet Gospels which allowed Barker to craft one true sequel to his original story.
Now, as shared with Bloody-Disgusting, actor Doug Bradley is willing to return as Pinhead for an adaptation of The Scarlet Gospels. He explained as much by first addressing that he never officially retired from the role in the first place.
Here’s what he shared:
“I certainly never say never. I’ve never said I was done with it. I’ve never said I’m retired from it.”
He continues:
“I’m sensible about these things, too. I was in my mid-30s when I first played the character, and I was just turning 50 when I played him the last time. I ain’t in that age range anymore. I’m now in my 70th year, and to some extent I think special effects makeup is a younger man’s game.”
At this point, Bradley suggests that Pinhead would have to be older, and furthermore, a version of the character that would fit in perfectly with The Scarlet Gospels:
“If we did that, we could maybe present an older Pinhead to be aware of the fact that I am the age I am, that time and gravity does what time and gravity does.
“An older, darker Pinhead would intrigue me, one not so much in love with the flippant one-liners and the witty comebacks and so forth.”
Of course, The Scarlet Gospels is surprisingly different from any other iteration of Hellraiser. As Bradley himself notes, it deals with Christian theology which was something eschewed in the original works in favor of making the Cenobites and their realm more ambiguous.
“Christian theology was very much avoided in relation to the way that Hell was talked about in the first Hellraiser movies. Clive typically blew that wide open with The Scarlet Gospels. It’s very theological on a cosmological scale.
“That would be the perfect bookend to my life in latex, if I can put it that way.”
Bradley confirms that there is no such adaptation in the works as far as he’s aware. In fact, Bradley has also come to terms with no longer playing the role:
“I’ve never turned my back completely on the character, but realistically, I think that’s probably that, and that’s fine. I’m proud of what we did with the movies, and I’m proud of my work in it. I’m cool with being where I am now.”
Doug Bradley has certainly left his mark on the franchise, and furthermore, the horror genre as a whole. If he chooses to retire, then he’s certainly earned it. Otherwise, fans would no doubt be happy to see him back as one of horror’s most notable villains of all-time.