Moviegoers have been looking forward to catching up with the most anticipated releases of 2021, several of which just so happen to be delayed from original 2020 release dates. Co-writer/director Nia DaCosta’s spiritual sequel to the original Candyman is one of those movies that had a lot of buzz surrounding it, only to go over a year without a major trailer dropping. All that has recently changed and, judging by the latest look at the haunting Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is about to endure, I’m still so in for this movie.
As we’ve seen in past looks, the new Candyman takes place on the former site of Chicago’s infamous Cabrini-Green housing projects. One of the key haunting grounds in the 1992 original, it’s been revamped as a more gentrified location that also counts as the home of Anthony (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II). An artist who feels a deep pull towards the story of Candyman, his life is about to change, as the legend may have chosen him to carry on this legacy of fear.
Just as you’d expect, even more gruesome body horror and bee imagery take center stage in this new Candyman trailer. But at the same time, we see Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s character slowly falling under the spell of the story he’s chasing. He continues to chase it even in the midst of various warnings from those closest to him; and the danger only rises with the bodycount that's about to start piling up.
Working with Candyman co-writer/producer Jordan Peele, Nia DaCosta’s filmmaking skills are on brilliant display yet again. It’s no wonder that she was snagged by Marvel Studios as the director for The Marvels, formerly known as Captain Marvel 2, as her latest motion picture looks to only send her rising star even further. Just as the world has waited to see how Candyman would further the existing saga in a modern continuation, it’s also been anticipating how DaCosta’s personal touch will amp up the chills ahead.
Experiencing our collective fears in an intense but safe manner is what makes horror a genre that people respond to. When a movie like Candyman plays with the lines between myth and harsh reality, it only gets people more excited for what comes next. It all makes for a theatrical event that could have people talking, while also treating their mirrors a little more carefully in the immediate future.
Candyman finally hits theaters on August 27th and is a truly sweet highlight 2021 summer movie schedule. The wait looks to have truly been worth the time, and I for one cannot wait to get scared in a theater again, thanks to Nia DaCosta’s haunting vision. And if you're curious about what other horrific delights will be heading to theaters, take a look at the upcoming horror titles that are scheduled to debut throughout 2021 and beyond.
