Candyman, Candyman… Candyman? Ahead of this coming summer’s release of Candyman, it’s still unclear which bee-mouthed and hook-handed myth will haunt Cabrini Green Housing Projects once again in Nia DaCosta’s spiritual sequel. We know Tony Todd is reprising the character and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II character will have an active role in the long-awaited installment. But there are a lot of questions surrounding the horror flick yet to be answered.
To be clear, this is a very good thing. Many of us like to go into a movie (a horror one especially) without a lot to go on. But there has been a rumor floating around. Bloody Disgusting previously reported that Helen Lyles from the 1992 original could return for the 2021 release. Tony Todd was recently asked about the chances of Helen returning for Candyman. In Todd’s words:
Yes there is. I just talked to her today, as a matter of fact.
"Her" being Virginia Madsen, according to the legendary horror icon. Funny enough, the exclusive was snatched by the nine-year-old host of the Rocking With Jam Man show. (He does know Candyman rated R, right?) Tony Todd definitely made it sound like it’s possible for Helen to make a comeback, as he remains in contact with his co-star, yet in the previously mentioned rumor, it's Cassie Kramer who will be playing Helen in the upcoming Candyman.
As fans of the original movie remember, Virginia Madsen’s Helen was a Chicago graduate student who becomes infatuated with the Candyman origin. Tony Todd’s character haunts her until she dies and becomes a new kind of Candyman herself. Helen’s story ends with her exacting revenge on her husband, who cheated on her and pretty much left her for dead.
Although Tony Todd returned for the Candyman direct-to-video sequels Farewell to the Flesh and Day of the Dead, Helen’s storyline has never been forwarded in the franchise. It would be exciting to see what she has been up to all these years and if she has any continuing ties to Todd’s character! The upcoming movie will follow a couple, Anthony and Brianna (played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Teyonah Parris), who are artists that move to gentrified luxury condos in Chicago's Cabrini Green neighborhood. Ghost stories remain about the infamous Candyman, but Anthony will come face to face with the legend in the upcoming movie.
The movie was co-written and produced by Jordan Peele, and directed by Nia DaCosta, who previously made her debut with Little Woods and is heading into the big leagues as the helmer of Captain Marvel 2. During the interview, Tony Todd also shared his support for the movie finding its way to theaters instead of going straight to VOD, after a number of delays this year. Get ready for Candyman on August 27, 2021.
