According to Variety, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is in talks with MGM to star as the titular villain in the new Candyman horror film being produced by Jordan Peele’s Monkey Paw productions in conjunction with Win Rosenfeld and MGM. Peele is writing the script. Peele wrote and directed the award-winning Get Out (2017), which grossed $225 million worldwide. Abdul-Mateen recently appeared as the villain Black Manta in Aquaman.
The new Candyman is said to be a “spiritual sequel” to the original 1992 film and will take place in the neighborhood where the legend began: “the now-gentrified section of Chicago where the Cabrini-Green housing projects once stood.” Tony Todd portrayed the title character in the original film, which was based on a short story by Clive Barker and directed by Bernard Rose. Candyman is an urban legend similar to Bloody Mary – he appears if you say his name 5 times in front of a mirror and kills you with his hook for a hand.
This is what Peele has to say about the movie:
“The original was a landmark film for black representation in the horror genre. Alongside Night of the Living Dead, Candyman was a major inspiration for me as filmmaker — and to have a bold new talent like Nia at the helm of this project is truly exciting. We are honored to bring the next chapter in the Candyman canon to life and eager to provide new audiences with an entry point to Clive Barker’s legend.”
Candyman is expected to debut in theaters on June 12, 2020.
