‘Candyman’: First Sequel Details and Director Confirmed

Earlier this year, Bloody Disgusting reported that Jordan Peele was interested in developing a remake to the slasher classic Candyman, with a new report confirming the project is officially moving forward. Variety, however, clarified that the film serves as a “spiritual sequel” as opposed to a straightforward remake, which has snagged Nia DaCosta as the director. Peele and Win Rosenfeld wrote this new film’s script.

The original 1992 film was adapted from a story by Clive Barker. When grad student Helen Lyle (Virginia Madsen) begins working on a thesis looking at urban legends, she encounters the tale of the Candyman — the vengeful spirit of a hook-handed slave, who, it is said, can be summoned by saying his name five times in the mirror. As her research leads her into the bowels of Chicago’s deprived housing projects and deeper into the Candyman’s world, Helen learns that some legends are best left alone.

“We cannot wait for the world to see what the mind-blowing combination of Jordan, Win, and Nia bring to the legend of Candyman,” MGM Motion Picture Group president Jonathan Glickman shared in a statement. “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.”

In the years following Candyman‘s release, the Cabrini-Green housing project began to be demolished, with the last original building finally being destroyed in 2011. The area is now occupied by high-end condos, a development the new film will embrace for its plot. Variety describes that the new film “returns to the neighborhood where the legend began: the now-gentrified section of Chicago where the Cabrini-Green housing projects once stood.”

Peele’s first foray into the horror genre was last year’s Get Out, which became a financial and cultural sensation. The filmmaker continues his exploration of societal horrors with the upcoming The Twilight Zone reboot, which lands on CBS All Access next year.

“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,” Peele shared. “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.”

Stay tuned for details new Candyman before it hits theaters on June 12, 2020.

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