Hellraiser Confirmed To Make A Return In 2026

2 weeks ago 22

Published Feb 18, 2026, 3:31 PM EST

Annie Banks is a Rotten Tomatoes–approved critic, and CBR editor and writer specializing in anime, comics, and superheroes. Her work has also appeared in Collider and The Mary Sue, where she covered pop culture, fandoms, and entertainment trends. A lifelong fan whose love for storytelling began with Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Annie blends critical insight with genuine passion for geek culture, from sci-fi to K-pop.

Clive Barker's Hellraiser has long been praised as a trailblazer for experimental horror, and upon its 40th anniversary, has fallen into the hands of BOOM! Studios.

The original report hails from Fangoria, though the horror-centric publication reports that, while "no details have been announced yet... Boom will be publishing several all-new Hellraiser stories in 2026, as well as a special new Direct Reserve Campaign, collecting the entire out-of-print run of their 2011 Hellraiser series."

Barker released a statement regarding the partnership with BOOM! Studios, where he said, “I’m delighted to be partnering with BOOM! once again to create comics and graphic novels that will introduce both wild new projects, in addition to creating radical new visions of the kind of dark mythologies I’ve always been known for... There are a lot of doors waiting to be opened, and worlds of weird fantasy and horror waiting on the other side.”

BOOM! Studios Deputy Publisher Bryce Carlson shared his sentiments regarding Hellraiser's return to the comic book publishing powerhouse. “We had a hell of a run when we first published Hellraiser comics back in 2011. That content is long out of print and hard to come by, but we’re reopening the Lament Configuration 15 years later and unleashing hell once again for all the incredibly patient fans out there.”

Not much else is known about the future of Hellraiser at BOOM! Studios outside the publisher's confirmed plans to revisit the horror franchise through the pages of comics once more. However, it does sound like Barker has promised that these "wild new projects" and "radical new visions" will honor the foundation that Hellraiser originally built when breaking the mold for horror today.

Hellraiser's Impact On Horrror

Hellraiser shifted the idea of how horror could take shape through the idea of being intentionally divisive. Barker's storytelling was able to challenge the idea of what horror could address as a genre and use unconventional narratives to spook audiences while still making a statement. While ultimately a tale of "good vs. evil," Barker took significant risks when pulling more sensual themes of desire, lust, and temptation into Hellraiser.

On a less-controversial level, Hellraiser stepped away from the idea of following the typical "masked killer" formula that horror has grown tired of, and instead, complicated its antagonists to a greater degree. Pinhead is as memorable as he is frightening, allowing his visual presence to dominate the screen as much as his spoken word does.

Through bold stylization and even more intense legacy to boot, Hellraiser has left a long-lasting imprint on horror in all of its multimedia glory.