Exclusive: Gary Tunnicliffe Talks Hellraiser: Judgment; New Image from the Set!
Pinhead’s back, and FX maven and filmmaker Gary Tunnicliffe spilled to us last night regarding his forthcoming written and directed feature Hellraiser: Judgment, the latest installment in the subversive Clive Barker-created, long-running Dimension film series.
No stranger to the world, Tunnicliffe has provided makeups for six of the previous installments of the Hellraiser franchise (beginning in 1992 with director Anthony Hickox’s Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth) before being tasked with writing and helming this tenth film in the series, which regardless of what IMDb states, is apparently not titled “Hellraiser X: Judgment.”
“I’ve no idea where the ‘X’ came from or who started it, and honestly I kind of hate it,” said the 48-year-old Brit, who, after twenty-three years in the FX industry, is responsible for some of the genre’s more iconic visual moments and creations, including those in Candyman, Mimic, Blade, the Feast film series, and dozens more.
“Hellraiser: Judgment was and is the working title, but of course that could all change,” elaborated Tunnicliffe, pictured below on the set of the film. “I don’t have any power over the title, and honestly it doesn’t really worry me, unless of course it’s called Hellraiser: Friendship Is Magic. I don’t think we’re ready for a My Little Pony crossover just yet, no matter what the Bronies might say.”
Of Hellraiser: Judgment, which recently wrapped principal photography in and around Oklahoma City following a three-week shoot (and which was lensed on Panavision Alexa and Red Dragon cameras), Tunnicliffe offered of the experience, “So far [it’s been] a dream come true. Dimension was very supportive with the darker elements of the script – although I had to tone it down a little – and they had great notes and suggestions. My producer, Mike Leahy, was there daily fighting the [good] fight, the Oklahoma crew gave it everything, and the City and Film Commission helped out beyond belief with locations and police support.”
He added, “Everywhere we went people gave generously and with a smile, from the hotel staff cutting deals to the local Jaguar dealership that let us use a $100K car for free! And from call ‘till wrap the cast and crew just busted their collective asses with enthusiasm. I’m sure they thought that what we were shooting at times was crazy, but everyone seemed to dig it, and I always felt they had my back. I was so sad to get to the final scene and hear, ‘That’s a wrap!’ On a personal level it was the culmination of a lifetime dream, from the kid who sat in the cinema in 1987 and had his life changed [by Clive Barker’s original film] to finding himself thirty years later on the set directing [one].”
As for Tunnicliffe’s scripted addition to the world, the official synopsis for Hellraiser: Judgment reads as follows: “Detectives Sean and David Carter are on the case to find a gruesome serial killer terrorizing the city. Joining forces with Detective Christine Egerton, they dig deeper into a spiraling maze of horror that may not be of this world. Could the Judgment awaiting the killer’s victims also be waiting for Sean?”
Actor Damon Carney (The Veil, The Hitcher) plays “Detective Sean Carter,” Randy Wayne (To Save a Life) is “Detective David Carter,” and Alexandra Harris (In the Shadows) portrays “Detective Christine Egerton.” This being a Hellraiser film, the conversation turns, however, to the absence of actor Doug Bradley, who originated the iconic role of the series’ malevolent “Pinhead,” who in Judgment is portrayed by actor Paul T. Taylor (Sin City, Super).
Querying Tunnicliffe in regard to his approach to the character’s makeup design (you can see a first look below on the film’s artwork), as well as his direction of Taylor, the filmmaker stated, “I’m very happy with the makeup. We [Writer’s Note: Tunnicliffe’s makeup FX and production company Two Hours in the Dark, Inc.) tried to pull it back to the style of the first films and even intensify it a little; the cuts are deeper, his eyes are totally black, and there are a couple of little fun design tweaks on the makeup and costume that I’ll be interested to see how people react to. Clive mentioned to me a couple of times that he thought the makeup had got a little ‘clean’ so we tried to ‘dirty’ it down a little. What I can tell you is that there were times I was a little freaked out [because] there were moments when Paul would make an expression that was so ‘Doug’ that it was disturbing! But as you all know the makeup is only a small part of the battle. It’s all about the guy ‘under the rubber.’”
As for the absence of Bradley in Hellraiser: Judgment, Tunnicliffe communicated, “The whole Doug situation has been pretty intense, and I’m very sorry for where we are at now. Doug perhaps thinks I betrayed him, when all I was trying to do was present the facts. I wanted him on this film, but it wasn’t to be, and Paul has had to step into the firing line. Paul is very much a fan of Doug and Hellraiser and knew he had big shoes to fill. He didn’t come and do an impersonation. He has delivered his own performance, and I directed him as I saw fit, which was to have him play it very subdued and intense. I really hope people give him a chance because he came to set every day and was excellent. He even shaved his head for the movie, and on top of that he’s a thoroughly good guy who can sing the hell out of The Rocky Horror Picture Show!”
Tomorrow we delve into Tunnicliffe’s approach to his new Cenobite creations, on working with actors John Gulager and Diane Goldner, the inclusion of A Nightmare on Elm Street star Heather Langenkamp, and more so be sure to check back!
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