Jordan Peele's upcoming reboot of Clive Barker's CANDYMAN recently snagged both a director – in the form of LITTLE WOODS writer-director Nia DaCosta – and a June 2020 release date. Now while the idea of a CANDYMAN reboot/sequel isn't really my cup of tea, with these powerhouse talents behind the scenes, I say bring it on and don't forget the cameos while you're at it!
And speaking of cameos and the original Bernard Rose film, what does the original Candyman, Tony Todd think of the remake? Well, it turns out the actor recently spoke with SyFy about just that and had some interesting things to say.
Tony Todd on CANDYMAN reboot:
I have mixed feelings because I thought they were gonna make this 15 years ago. If this had been 10 years ago when I had heard news, I'd have been devastated. I'd have fought for it. Now I'm in a different place. I've got so many other options that even if they make it without me, which I doubt, the attention the new movie will lead folks back to the original because people like to see the source material.
Todd on Candyman's relevance story today:
Now more than ever. In 2018, I think there are a few neighborhoods that could use some Candyman justice, you know what I'm saying? I'm just happy that as an African-American man, that Candyman has once again been given the nod to enter people's consciousness.
Todd on what he hopes gets to be explored in the updated version:
I hope that they don't dance around the [interracial] relationship between Candyman and the love of his life, the reason for his death and that they are actually allowed to kiss. [Back then] it was rare that African-American male film stars got to kiss any of the white leading ladies they worked with. I'm just speaking my mind here.
The “spiritual sequel” will return to the neighborhood where the legend began: The now-gentrified section of Chicago where the Cabrini-Green housing projects once stood. Based on Barker's story The Forbidden, the original CANDYMAN was directed by Bernard Rose. The synopsis:
A children's ghost story comes to terrifying life in this gut-wrenching thriller about a graduate student whose research into modern folklore summons the spirit of the dead. Helen Lyle (Virginia Madsen) laughs when she interviews college freshmen about their superstitions. But when she hears about Candyman, a slave spirit with a hook hand who is said to haunt Chicago's notorious Cabrini-Green housing project, she thinks she has a new twist for this thesis. Braving the gang-ridden territory to visit the site of a brutal murder, Helen arrogantly assumes Candyman can't really exist… until he appears, igniting a string of terrifying, tragic slayings. But the police don't believe in monsters, and they charge Helen with the grisly crimes. Only one person can set her free: CANDYMAN.
Production is expected to begin next spring. Universal Pictures will handle domestic theatrical distribution and will release the movie on June 12, 2020. Now if Peele and the other powers that be behind the scenes decide not to re-cast Todd, who would you like to see don the hook this time around?
Let us know below!