Original ‘Candyman’ Wants to Be Involved With the Reboot “One Way or Another”

Tony Todd established himself as a genre icon thanks to starring in all three Candyman films, with last year seeing the announcement that a “spiritual sequel” was in the works. The project is still in early stages of development, but Todd would gladly get involved with it in any possible capacity.

“I want to be a part of the project one way or the other,” Todd shared with Bloody Disgusting. “Of course, I’d want to be a part of it. I helped create this character. I helped bring him to life so I’m sure if Boris Karloff was asked the same thing, he would say exactly what I say. I know the character inside and out.”

The outlet also noted that Todd has yet to hear from producer Jordan Peele or director Nia DaCosta, but with the film not shooting until later this year, there’s still time for that to change.

“No, I haven’t talked to him yet but I know he’s a fan,” the actor revealed. “They’re not going to shoot until deep this year so contracts are weird. You don’t want to get into contracts too soon because then you’re locked in.”

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.

The ’80s were dominated by slasher villains like Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger, with Candyman poised to become an iconic villain in the following decade. Unfortunately, neither of the two sequels managed to be as successful as the original film, with the franchise having stagnated over the last two decades.

Peele’s Get Out became one of the biggest cultural forces of 2017, so Todd knows that with the filmmaker’s involvement, the new iteration of Candyman will be a success.

“I know that it’s in good hands with Jordan Peele. I love his new trailer for Us and I know he loves the character and he respects the legacy,” the actor admitted. “No matter what my personal involvement is, the fact that it’s getting done again will just bring new attention to the original source material. So it’s a win-win for everybody and a win-win for horror fans.”

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

Do you want to see Todd in the film or should we get a new actor to embrace the villain? Let us know in the comments below or hit up @TheWolfman on Twitter to talk all things horror and Star Wars!