‘Candyman’ Reboot: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Teases Role in New Horror Film

Aquaman baddie Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is excited for the world to see what he is doing in the upcoming Candyman revival, and he is taking to social media to tease it. Of course, he is not actually allowed to say anything about a movie that is in the early stages, so what can he say? Let’s turn to emoticons for that answer…

Get Out director Jordan Peele is set to reboot Candyman for a new era, and he’s chosen Aquaman star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II to take a lead role in the film. Initial reports were that he would play the role first made famous by character actor and horror icon Tony Todd, although later reports simply identified him as a lead in the film.

For his part, Tony Todd has expressed interest in the movie, and hopes to be involved.

“I know he’s a fan,” Todd shared with Entertainment Weekly when discussing Jordan Peele, who is co-writing the new film. “We’re waiting just like the rest of the world. I’m hoping I will appear in the film in some form of fashion. Wouldn’t that make sense? But it’s Hollywood, so I won’t take it personally if for some reason it doesn’t work out.”

You can see Abdul-Mateen’s tweet below.

For Yahya Abdul-Matten II, this continues a rise to stardom, having catapulted out of a villain role in Netflix’s hip-hop history drama The Get Down, to a starring role (and big franchise future) in DC’s Aquaman. Mateen is also set to make in appearance in Jordan Peele’s second directorial effort, the doppleganger horror story Us, which hits theaters this spring.

A recent report from Variety also echoes earlier info on how this new Candyman film is approaching the story:

“The studio is touting the upcoming film as a “spiritual sequel” to the original. It will return to the neighborhood where the legend began: the now-gentrified section of Chicago where the Cabrini-Green housing projects once stood.

The original 1992 Candyman was adapted from a Clive Barker story. A grad student (Helen Lyle (Virginia Madsen) begins working on a thesis looking at urban legends, and encounters the tale of the Candyman, the vengeful spirit of a hook-handed slave, who can be summoned by saying his name five times in the mirror. As the student followed the investigation into the bowels of Chicago’s housing projects, she begins to discover that she and the evil entity known as Candyman share a connection going back centuries to a dark tale of racism and murder. The film went on to spawn two sequels throughout the mid and late ’90s – but more importantly, it cemented its monster’s cult status as an urban legend on school yards everywhere.

“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 said back when the movie was announced. “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 on the new Candyman, which is slated to hit theaters on June 12, 2020.

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