Jordan Peele’s Candyman Will Address Toxic Fandom

Candyman, the coming horror produced by Get Out and Us director Jordan Peele, will address “problematic” fandoms.

“We talk a lot about fans and the idea of appeasing fans and when you do that and how do you do that and when do you not do that,” Ian Cooper, creative director of Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions, told Deadline during Saturday’s Produced By Conference. “I think my issue with fandom is that it’s really problematic. It’s probably the most problematic thing facing the genre.”

Cooper did not name any specific examples, but could be referring to such instances as talent and fans alike being driven off social media over online hate.

“It typically comes with a dogma that is abrasive and that is more resistant to change and permutation than you would think,” Cooper said. “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.”

A “spiritual sequel” to the trilogy that starred Tony Todd as the titular ghost, Peele’s Candyman will star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Aquaman) and be directed by Nia DaCosta (Little Woods).

“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,” Cooper added.

“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.”

Peele’s take is one the Academy Award-winning filmmaker has talked about “for years,” Cooper said, “and it’s gone through iterations that are so high concept they’re basically a Gus Van Sant film. They’ve gone through many iterations let’s just say.”

Candyman is scheduled for June 12, 2020 under Universal and MGM.