Previously, it was believed that Candyman star Tony Todd would not be a part of the Jordan Peele-produced Candyman reboot that’s on the way. But now, well now it seems as if things have changed on that front.
Speaking at New York’s Nickel City Con – as first reported by CinemaBlend – Todd confirmed that he is indeed going to have a role to play in the upcoming new Candyman offering. Even better, his fleeting appearances in the film have been described as “applause-worthy moments”.
As Todd himself explained, “Out of the blue, I got a phone call from Jordan Peele. We’re still waiting for the contract, but the way he explained it to me was that it’s gonna be applause-worthy moments. That’s his words. No matter what happens with that, it’s gonna just put renewed attention on the original.”
In terms of other information that we know about this new Candyman picture, Aquaman’s Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Get Out’s Lakeith Stanfield have been in talks for roles in the movie. Speculation has Stanfield lined up for a role similar to Virginia Madsen’s Helen Lyle in the original Candyman film; in that murders begin to happen around the character as he continues to delve into the urban legend of the Candyman. As for Abdul-Mateen II, one rumour is that he’s pencilled in to play a new Candyman of sorts.
Candyman itself actually began life as a short story in Clive Barker’s Books of Blood. Originally titled The Forbidden, the story was famously adapted as a 1992 Tony Todd and Virginia Madsen-starring movie from Bernard Rose. Plot-wise, the movie version took place in the semi-demolished Cabrini-Green housing development in Chicago. Todd’s Candyman was an artist and the son of a slave, murdered by bees by his lover’s father after first having his hand lopped off.
From there, the urban legend of the Candyman is that if you say his name five times while looking in the mirror, he’ll appear behind you – and likely slice you up good ‘n’ proper. Sequels followed with 1995’s Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh and 1999’s Candyman: Day of the Dead, and despite mild rumblings over the decades, the franchise has remained dead since that ’99 effort.
For this new Candyman, the film will return to the area that once housed the Cabrini-Green housing projects. This time out, we find a new group of poor souls wishing to explore the legend of the infamous Candyman. Which we all know, will likely not end well for the majority of those involved.
To be directed by Little Woods’ Nia DaCosta from a screenplay penned by Jordan Peele and Win Rosenfeld, Candyman is booked in for a June 12th, 2020 release.
