A little over a month after Bloody Disgusting reported an unconfirmed rumor that Get Out director Jordan Peele wanted to produce a remake to the Clive Barker ’90s horror film Candyman, MGM and Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions confirmed as much on Tuesday. According to Variety and the release, Peele and his producing partner, Win Rosenfeld, have written a script, and up-and-coming director Nia DaCosta (Little Woods) will helm the “spiritual sequel” to the 1992 slasher classic.
MGM President Jonathan Glickman revealed the news in a press release. “We cannot wait for the world to see what the mind-blowing combination of Jordan, Win and Nia bring to the legend of Candyman,” he said. “They have created a story that will not only pay reverence to Clive Barker’s haunting and brilliant source material but is also thoroughly modern and will bring in a whole new generation of fans.”
Peele added that “the original was a landmark film for black representation in the horror genre” of film. “Alongside Night of the Living Dead, Candyman was a major inspiration for me as a 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.”
Production on Peele and company’s “spiritual sequel” is expected to begin next spring. The film itself is aiming for a theatrical release in the United States on June 12th, 2020. As for whether veteran character actor Tony Todd will be involved, the release had nothing to say about who might be playing the “Candyman” himself, Daniel Robitaille, or if this character will even be involved.
(Via Variety)
