I missed this trailer when it was released, and I'm just now wondering if I should have kept on missing it rather than writing about it, but there are a couple of things worth saying about the new Hellraiser film. The first is that it's obviously going to be pretty poor, and the other is that Clive Barker has come out and publicly said he has nothing to do with this film.

Mind you the trailer doesn't look terrible, it does capture some of the main aspects of Hellraiser, but there's so much around it that doesn't make sense and feels like so many other horror films we've seen.

You might remember a story I wrote about Hellraiser back in August of last year which revealed that those behind a proper restart of the franchise were struggling to get something made in time to retain the rights as if they didn't release something quickly they would lose the rights and the idea to return Hellraiser to the big screen as a strong horror franchise would be lost at the studio.

So, Hellraiser: Revelations came, a small, quickly made and released to DVD film in order to secure the rights for long enough to get the proper project going.

You would think that these contracts about rights would have more written in them about the films themselves, something about quality perhaps, but no it's all about releasing in certain windows regardless of quality and how it sullies the franchise name, and that is how we came to see the Hellraiser franchise where it is today.

Surely it would be better for those behind the rights and everyone involved in the franchise that they just hold back, take stock, and move forward with the bigger cinematic release of a new Hellraiser?

Well the cinematic rebirth of Hellraiser, last we heard, was still trying to find the right script, and so that means there's not a film coming from that for some time, and that means the quick release DVD was the way to secure the rights, and here we are.

Here's what I said back in August 2010 about the production:

Hellraiser: Revelations is not intended to be the new release in the franchise, but more something to hold onto the rights in order to get the theatrical release made. So they've avoided all the previous writers and directors and gone for Victor García, a protégée of Guillermo del Toro who directed Return to House on Haunted Hill and Mirrors 2, who will direct the script from Gary Tunnicliffe who is an effects designer, writer, actor and director and has been the second unit director on various horror film sequels including Hellraiser: Deader and Hellraiser: Hellworld.

Here's a short blurb for Hellraiser: Revelations:

Two friends in Mexico discover the Lament Configuration and unleash Pinhead, but one decides to try to survive by swapping himself with someone else. Once they go missing, family members go in search of them but find Pinhead instead.

You can see from the trailer below that comes through JoBlo that it's not the highest of production values, and it does open rather poorly. However there are some interesting ideas in there, the idea of swapping someone out instead of you, and the Pinhead protégé, although that is also a waning franchise marker, replace the big star with a younger, hipper version and appeal to the younger audiences while reducing the cast bill.

Meanwhile Clive Barker has announced , through JoBlo, that this has nothing to do with him, and quite rightly so.

"Hello, my friends. I want to put on record that the flick out there using the word Hellraiser IS NO [expletive removed - Richard] CHILD OF MINE! I have NOTHING to do with the [expletive removed - Richard] thing. If they claim its from the mind of Clive Barker, it's a lie. It's not even from my butt-hole."

So when are we going to see a new Hellraiser? Well I really think that the opportunity has been missed, Barker or the team behind Martyrs was the best bet for me and both have been passed by. I wonder if we ever will see a cinematic Hellraiser again, especially after this release.