Candyman Reboot Lands 2021 Release Date

After being removed from the release calendar last month, Nia DaCosta and Jordan Peele's Candyman reboot finally has a new release date. Universal initially stated that it would be released sometime in 2021, but now things are official. The new Candyman, which is being hailed as a "spiritual sequel" to the original 1992 film, will arrive in theaters on August 27, 2021. So fans will still have to wait a while to see the new movie, but at least it's clear exactly when it will be arriving.

DaCosta is directing the rebooted version of Candyman, which will star Watchmen and Aquaman's Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in the lead role. The film was originally supposed to hit theaters in June, but was delayed to October at the onset of the pandemic. Peele produced the film and co-wrote the screenplay with DaCosta.

When Candyman was pushed to 2021, DaCosta took to Twitter to explain to fans why it was being held for a theatrical release, rather than sent to an on-demand platform, like many other Universal titles.

We made CANDYMAN to be seen in theaters. Not just for the spectacle but because the film is about community and stories--how they shape each other, how they shape us. It’s about the collective experience of trauma and joy, suffering and triumph, and the stories we tell around it.

— Nia DaCosta (@NiaDaCosta) September 12, 2020

"We wanted the horror and humanity of CANDYMAN to be experienced in a collective, a community, so we're pushing Candyman to next year, to ensure that everyone can see the film, in theaters, and share in that experience," DaCosta wrote.

In addition to Abdul-Mateen, Candyman stars Teyonah Parris, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, and Colmon Domingo. The film was shot in the fall of 2019 for the planned released in Summer 2020.

"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 in a statement announcing the movie. "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."

Are you looking forward to checking out Candyman in theaters next year? Let us know in the comments!