Candyman Gets an Official Rating

In case you were nervous that the upcoming new take on Candyman might hold back the horror from audiences, the upcoming film is confirmed to be rated R for “bloody horror violence, and language including some sexual references.” These details might not come as much of a surprise to fans who have seen the trailers for the film, but given that director Nia DaCosta is a relative newcomer to the horror genre, this rating confirms she’s honoring the intensity of the source material. Additionally, this official rating on FilmRatings.com also confirms that the film will be titled “Say My Name” in some territories, likely due to a lack of familiarity with the horror franchise overseas. The new Candyman is currently slated to hit theaters on October 16th.

In the new film, “For as long as residents can remember, the housing projects of Chicago’s Cabrini Green neighborhood were terrorized by a word-of-mouth ghost story about a supernatural killer with a hook for a hand, easily summoned by those daring to repeat his name five times into a mirror. In present day, a decade after the last of the Cabrini towers were torn down, visual artist Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II; HBO’s Watchmen, Us) and his girlfriend, gallery director Brianna Cartwright (Teyonah Parris; If Beale Street Could Talk, The Photograph), move into a luxury loft condo in Cabrini, now gentrified beyond recognition and inhabited by upwardly mobile millennials. With Anthony’s painting career on the brink of stalling, a chance encounter with a Cabrini Green old-timer (Colman Domingo; HBO’s Euphoria, Assassination Nation) exposes Anthony to the tragically horrific nature of the true story behind Candyman. Anxious to maintain his status in the Chicago art world, Anthony begins to explore these macabre details in his studio as fresh grist for paintings, unknowingly opening a door to a complex past that unravels his own sanity and unleashes a terrifying wave of violence that puts him on a collision course with destiny.”

Despite this rating likely exciting fans about the endeavor’s intensity, the current coronavirus pandemic still has fans questioning when we’ll actually be able to see the film.

Candyman was originally slated to hit theaters this past June, but as the pandemic progressed and theaters remained closed, the release was pushed to September. Earlier this month, the release was delayed again to October. Given that the highly anticipated Halloween Kills had its October release date pushed to 2021, we won’t be surprised if Candyman is delayed yet again, or possibly heads to VOD.

Stay tuned for details on Candyman before its expected October 16th release.

Are you looking forward to the new film? Let us know in the comments below or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!