Hulu’s Hellraiser Reboot Has Cast Its Female Lead

You can really feel blessed as a horror fan when there are not one, but two new versions of Hellraiser to look forward to. As well as an HBO series, there’s also a reboot movie in the works, and the latter’s lead has now been revealed in the form of Odessa A’zion.

Hers is a name you might not be familiar with, partly because at 21 years old she doesn’t have a huge back catalogue of roles built up, and also because until recently she was credited under her birth name of Odessa Adlon, such as in short-lived sitcom Fam.

Although her character is stated to be named Riley rather than Kirsty, she’ll presumably be someone analogous to the reluctant heroine, and the story will hopefully retain the original themes of demonstrating that people who are wholly human can be just as monstrous as abyssal supernatural entities.

The reboot is to be directed by David Bruckner (The Ritual, V/H/S), and although nothing has yet been said about what kind of plot we can expect from it, it’s not much of a stretch to postulate that it’ll involve somebody solving an intricate puzzle box and, intentionally or otherwise, summoning a cabal of sadomasochistic demons who gruesomely slaughter those they encounter to swell the ranks of Hell’s army.

It’s not unfair to suggest that continuations of the series released over the years have been less than stellar, although 2018’s Hellraiser: Judgment did manage the seemingly impossible task of gradually lifting the franchise from the mire of mediocrity in which it had languished for too long. Whether the reboot will go any way towards continuing to elevate its general standing remains to be seen, but at least we’re now on course for it actually getting made.