At the start of this year, it looked like Universal Pictures was preparing one hell of a horror slate for 2020. Leigh Whannell's The Invisible Man seriously spooked audiences when it came out in February, and expectations were super high for titles like Candyman, The Forever Purge, and Halloween Kills to be released throughout the year. Sadly, those plans have now fallen into a bit of disarray, as paired with the news today that Halloween Kills has been pushed to 2021, we also have now learned that Candyman has been delayed nearly a full month and that The Forever Purge has opted not to try and find a new date before December.
We first heard about The Forever Purge's delay a few weeks ago, with the studio opting to keep it in limbo for a while, and the original plan was to release Candyman on September 25th. Now Variety is reporting that Universal has settled on a new plan for both projects. While the fifth chapter in the Purge franchise was initially supposed to come out this Friday, it has now been pushed almost exactly a year and will come out on July 9, 2021. As for the Nia DaCosta slasher starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, the film is now scheduled to arrive in theaters on October 16th. The movie was originally supposed to hit theaters on June 12, making this its second delay.
The Forever Purge, which went into production last year, is directed by Everardo Gout, and is based on a script by James DeMonaco – who wrote and directed the first three Purge movies and is credited as the series' creator. The movie is being touted as the last Purge movie, and it would appear that it's going to be the end of the franchise as well given that The Purge television series was cancelled back in May after running for two seasons.
Not much is known about the plot of the 2021 feature, but it has been confirmed that the story will move away from urban settings like those used in the last few movies. Whether that means a return to the suburbs, or maybe a trip to the vast expanses of the midwest is unclear at this time.
Obviously the wait for Candyman won't be nearly as long, as Universal is staying optimistic that successful theatrical releases remain a viable possibility in 2020, but it definitely hurts to see the movie pushed back given the high levels of anticipation for its arrival. Written by Nia DaCosta, Jordan Peele, and Win Rosenfeld, the new movie will tell a new chapter in the terrifying franchise and center on a visual artist named Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) who begins an investigation into the legend behind Chicago's Cabrini Green Housing Projects and Candyman – a mysterious killer who appears if you say his name five times in a mirror.
The film will feature Vanessa Estelle Williams return as Anthony's mother, Anne-Marie McCoy, and Tony Todd is rumored to reprise his iconic role, while newcomers include Teyonah Parris, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, and Colman Domingo.
Given the excitement that exists for both Candyman and The Forever Purge, we here at CinemaBlend will most definitely keep you updated with the latest developments regarding the release of the films, and hopefully we'll get the opportunity to see both of them soon. Check out our 2020 Movie Release Calendar to check out what's still on the way for the rest of the year.
