The original "Candyman" film released in 1992 was made during a time where well-known horror powerhouses of Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, and Michael Myers were beginning to die out with audiences, leaving plenty of room for a new horror icon to take the stage. While a few past sequels have failed to recapture the magic of the first movie, the Candyman character has been beloved by fans for years, including "Get Out" and "Us" director Jordan Peele.
From the first trailer alone, it is evident that Peele (who will be producing the newest installment), director Nia DaCosta ("Little Woods"), and everyone else involved in making the film are hardcore fans of "Candyman."
Bloody and mangled hook hand? Check. Swarm of bees? Check. Fur coat with the popped collar? Check. Tony Todd's terrifying voice? Check.
Rather than a full-on reboot or needless remake, 2020's "Candyman" will be following the 2018 "Halloween" treatment in which the movie will act as a direct sequel following the events of the 1992 original film. Being that the film will be a direct sequel, several key characters from the original film will be returning with relative newcomer Yahya Abdul Mateen II ("Aquaman", "Watchmen") portraying the baby and main McGuffin from the first film Anthony McCoy with his mother Anne, once again played by Vanessa A Williams.
If Anthony is treated anything like protagonist Helen Lyle (Virginia Madsen) from the original, "Candyman" will be putting Anthony through the gauntlet. Candyman may not have the on-screen presence of Pennywise the Clown but demands just as much fear and alarm from the audience.
Candyman's actual role in the film may even take inspiration from the original film; having a presence through whispers and rumors alone (Lord Voldemort style) would be enough to create tension and build-up to the actual reveal later in the film.
As evidenced by his deep iconic voice (though heavily distorted) heard throughout the trailer, Tony Todd himself will be returning as Daniel Robitaille a.k.a. Candyman in some capacity.
Though relative newcomer Nia DaCosta is directing the film, Jordan Peele's fingerprints look to be all over the movie from the humor to the use of a Destiny's Child's "Say My Name" being mixed around to sound much more sinister for the trailer.
Unsurprisingly, many scenes of the trailer are out of context, but from a few scenes, it looks as if "Candyman" will be using the now-adult Anthony as a vessel for him to attack other people.
With Peele on as producer, expect there to be some social commentary interspersed with all of the horror and jump scares. The first "Candyman" film still holds up very well, but the world has changed tremendously since 1992, specifically the city of Chicago.
The projects that were focused on heavily in the original, Cabrini Green, are now significantly gentrified, which the film will use as canon, commenting on a few of the recent developments. The evolution of the Cabrini Green projects helps to add another layer of intrigue and mystery to a horror movie.
Even if the implementation of Destiny's Child in the trailer somewhat detracts from the atmosphere, Peele and DaCosta are ushering "Candyman" to have a major presence in the current horror landscape moving forward.
