Candyman


For as long as residents can remember, the housing projects of Chicago’s Cabrini Green neighborhood were terrorized by a word-of-mouth ghost story about a supernatural killer with a hook for a hand, easily summoned by those daring to repeat his name five times into a mirror. In present day, a decade after the last of the Cabrini towers were torn down, visual artist Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II; HBO’s Watchmen, Us) and his girlfriend, gallery director Brianna Cartwright (Teyonah Parris; If Beale Street Could Talk, The Photograph), move into a luxury loft condo in Cabrini, now gentrified beyond recognition and inhabited by upwardly mobile millennials.

With Anthony’s painting career on the brink of stalling, a chance encounter with a Cabrini Green old-timer (Colman Domingo; HBO’s Euphoria, Assassination Nation) exposes Anthony to the tragically horrific nature of the true story behind Candyman. Anxious to maintain his status in the Chicago art world, Anthony begins to explore these macabre details in his studio as fresh grist for paintings, unknowingly opening a door to a complex past that unravels his own sanity and unleashes a terrifyingly viral wave of violence that puts him on a collision course with destiny.


Yahya Abdul-Mateen II
Teyonah Parris
Colman Domingo
Nathan Stewart-Jarrett
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II
Teyonah Parris
Colman Domingo
Nathan Stewart-Jarrett

CURRENT STATUS: 
Now On DVD
RELEASE DATE: 
August 27, 2021 (Theaters) September 17, 2021 (VOD) November 16, 2021 (DVD)

CATEGORY:

DIRECTOR:

MPAA: 
Rated R for "bloody horror violence, and language including some sexual references."

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PROJECT DETAILS:
Director Nia DaCosta detailed via social media why they decided to push the film's release again instead of simply releasing it on premium VOD like other films, saying: "We made Candyman to be seen in theaters. Not just for the spectacle but because the film is about community and stories – how they shape each other, how they shape us. It’s about the collective experience of trauma and joy, suffering and triumph, and the stories we tell around it. We wanted the horror and humanity of Candyman to be experienced in a collective, a community, so we’re pushing Candyman to next year, to ensure that everyone can see the film, in theaters, and share in that experience." (9/14/20)

The film was originally going to be released June 12th, then September 25th and most recently October 16th 2020, until the studio decided to once again push the release to an unspecified 2021 release due to the ongoing situation with the pandemic. (9/12/20)

Filmed in Chicago, IL.

One of the film's producers spoke a bit about how this movie connects to the original, saying: "I think what we’re trying to do with Candyman is both be mischievous in how we address the relationship to the first film but also be very satisfying. What we’re doing with Candyman and how Jordan is crafting it on the page is going to be very exciting and rewarding to audiences that haven’t seen the original film as well as people who’ve seen the original film. In a broad sense of the word, this film will stand alone if you’ve never heard of a film called Candyman and will dovetail in a pretty complicated and interesting way to the original. In short, I think this will really fit in with what we’re doing with Us and did with Get Out in a way that will be circuitous." (6/8/19)

Apparently original Candyman actor Tony Todd will have some kind of role in the film, as he's been indicating that in some recent interviews, but still won't say exactly if he's back as Candyman himself: "I got a phone call from Jordan Peele. We’re still waiting for the contract, but the way he explained it to me was that it’s gonna be applause worthy moments. That’s his words. No matter what happens with that, it’s gonna just put renewed attention on the original." (5/17/19)

Director Nia DaCosta confirms that Yahya Abdul-Mateen II will not be replacing Tony Todd as the new Candyman, saying: "Well, it’s been slightly misreported. I can’t say what’s happening in the film because we want it to be a surprise, but he’s not replacing Tony Todd. That’s been reported, and I was just like, I don’t know what to say about this. This is not right." (3/25/19)

Actress Teyonah Parris (Empire, If Beale Street Could Talk) is in negotiations to join the cast as an art dealer and girlfriend to Yahya Abdul-Mateen's character.

When originally announced it was said that actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (The Get Down, Aquaman) was in talks to play Candyman, but a recent report indicates that he's playing "an artist who becomes obsessed with the bloody legend." Maybe the artist somehow eventually becomes Candyman?

MGM’s Jon Glickman was quoted saying: "We cannot wait for the world to see what the mind-blowing combination of Jordan, Win and Nia bring to the legend of Candyman. They have created a story that will not only pay reverence to Clive Barker’s haunting and brilliant source material but is also thoroughly modern and will bring in a whole new generation of fans." (11/27/18)

Producer Jordan Peele was quoted saying: "The original was a landmark film for black representation in the horror genre. Alongside Night of the Living Dead, Candyman was a major inspiration for me as a filmmaker, and to have a bold new talent like Nia at the helm of this project is truly exciting. We are honored to bring the next chapter in the Candyman canon to life and eager to provide new audiences with an entry point to Clive Barker’s legend." (11/27/18)

Directed by Nia DaCosta (Little Woods).

This project is co-produced by Jordan Peele (Get Out), who also scripts with Win Rosenfeld.

The original movie was adapted from Clive Barker's story The Forbidden, which saw Tony Todd in the title role as "Candyman," who was an urban legend that would become real when he was summoned to kill the person that says his name five times while facing a mirror.

This is a remake that's being described as a "contemporary and spiritual sequel" to the original.

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