Who starts watching a franchise with the fourth entry?
Apparently, Goran Visnjic does. While talking about his role in the upcoming Hellraiser reboot, I asked him about his relationship with the original Hellraiser. He admitted that he loved Hellraiser as a teen, but he started by watching the fourth film. He was obsessed with science fiction as a teenager and the fourth film, Bloodline took place "in a space station, and parts take place in the 18th Century," so he couldn't help himself. He had to check it out. He fell in love with the film, and instantly returned to the rental store, looking for the first three Hellraiser films to fill in the blanks. They were completely different films, but he loved them nonetheless. When the script came across his manager's desk, he was concerned that Goran, being from Croatia, was unfamiliar with the franchise. Goran laughed.
The new Hellraiser is more of a reboot than a remake of the film written and directed by Clive Barker, based off his novella, The Hellbound Heart. A recovering addict comes into possession of a Lament Configuration Box and is quickly drawn into a world of pain and suffering. Goran plays Voight, a wealthy, eccentric with a taste for lavish parties and kinky sex. It turns out that he was the original owner of the Lament Configuration Box before his death. Goran loved that his character was "insane." He was familiar with director David Bruckner's work, and wanted to work with him. It all added up to a "no brainer" for him.
Goran also talked about playing with the Lament Configuration Boxes - all of which were practical - with such love that it made me jealous. We also discussed who was a bigger baddie in Hellraiser: Voight or the Cenobites.
Hellraiser is streaming exclusively on Hulu starting October 7th.
120