It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of the passing of genre director Anthony Hickox at the age of 64. Hickox, best known for his work on films such as Waxwork, Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth, and Warlock: The Armageddon, left a lasting impact on the industry.
Born into a family of filmmakers, it was clear from the start that Anthony Hickox had a passion for the craft. His father, Douglas Hickox, directed notable films like Theatre of Blood and Zulu Dawn, while his mother, Anne V. Coates, won an Oscar for her editing work on Lawrence of Arabia. After spending some time as a club promoter in London, Hickox made the move to Los Angeles to pursue his dreams of becoming a writer and director.
Hickox’s directorial debut came in the form of Waxwork, which was quickly followed by Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat. He went on to helm Waxwork II: Lost in Time, Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth, Full Eclipse, Warlock: The Armageddon, and more.
Later in his career, Hickox ventured into the action genre, directing films starring well-known actors such as Dolph Lundgren. However, it was a collaboration with Steven Seagal that had some interesting stories attached to it. Their film, Submerged, was originally envisioned as a sci-fi/horror movie set in a submarine infested with aliens. However, just weeks before production was set to begin, Seagal expressed his dislike for the concept and refused to participate.
Hickox recalled the phone conversation he had with Seagal, where the action star stated, “I don’t think this movie should be on a submarine… I’ve decided I don’t like aliens and I don’t like monsters. I don’t want to be in a monster movie.” Forced to come up with a new plan, Hickox admitted, “We had no clue what we were doing: no script, and the whole mind control thing in the final film was made up the last week before shooting! It was really insane. At that point, again, I should have quit, but I needed the cash.”
Seagal’s lack of commitment and disinterest in the filmmaking process proved to be a constant source of frustration. Hickox revealed, “He’ll never be on set for any other actor because he just walks away as soon as he’s done his lines. Literally, you’d light one side of the room. He would come on the other side of the room, shout action, say his lines, shout cut, and walk away. And me and the camera crew would be like, ‘What just happened?'”
Despite the challenges faced during his career, Anthony Hickox made a lasting impact on the genre film industry. His unique vision and creativity will be greatly missed. In honor of his contributions, tonight I will be watching Hellraiser III. Rest in peace, Mr. Hickox.
