1992’s Candyman was a tale about folk legends returning in the modern world, as Tony Todd’s legendary boogeyman had been seen in the crumbling slums of Chicago’s Cabrini-Green projects. So when a reboot was announced, with Us mastermind Jordan Peele as a co-writer and producer, people were wondering just how this new take would differ from the previous version. While there isn't any specific knowledge of how much things will change this go around, it sounds like whatever is planned is being kept underwraps because of how fresh and new it's going to be.
According to recent reports, the magic word of “gentrification” has now been thrown into the Candyman mix, as it looks like he’s back in his old stomping grounds. And rather than operate as merely a reboot of the iconic character, director Nia DaCosta, who has a deeply rooted love of the character much like Peele himself, has reinforced that that this new film is a “spiritual sequel” to the original film; with a strategy she's not ready to reveal yet.
However, Nia DaCosta's hand was forced just a little bit, as she had to go on the record as stating that the previously cast Yahya Abdul-Mateen II isn’t quite the new face of Candyman himself. When discussing the film with Collider, the director clarified that point thusly:
Well, it’s been slightly misreported. I can’t say what’s happening in the film because we want it to be a surprise, but he’s not replacing Tony Todd. That’s been reported, and I was just like, ‘I don’t know what to say about this. This is not right.’
So whatever is happening with this new Candyman film, it sounds like not only is it something so off the beaten path that it needs secrecy. But it’s so secret that we don’t even know what Abdul-Mateen II ‘s exact role will be. Fresh off of his role as Black Manta in James Wan’s Aquaman, the moment that Yahya Abdul-Mateen II was announced as being connected to Candyman, it felt pretty natural that he’d be the new inhabitant of the Clive Barker created character. But now, with DaCosta making these recent remarks, it sounds like there’s room for Tony Todd to return as of yet.
Much like the talk surrounding Peter Weller and a potential return to the Robocop franchise, Todd seems to quite possibly be in the mix for this modern refresh. While the actor has previously talked about how a potential reboot would be a welcomed, if not bittersweet, prospect, the labeling of this new Candyman film as a pseudo-sequel just might have been the ticket to get Tony Todd onboard. Fans are eager to see him slip back on the fur coat that made him the intimidating force that made the rounds through two additional sequels.
Seeing Tony Todd potentially come back as Candyman would only be beat by the prospect of seeing him also return to the Final Destination franchise – a series that also looks to be undergoing a reboot of sorts in the near future. It’s all speculation at this point, but with Candyman’s new lease on life being able to hook into the previous history of the character, should it choose to, is something all too exciting not to push for.
Candyman brings sweets to the sweet once again on June 12, 2020. However, that’s over a year away, and 2019 still has plenty of delights to send your way in the coming year. So visit our release schedule, and get a load of what’s headed your way.
