Sometimes they nail the pop song in the trailer, and a haunting riff of Beyonce’s “Say My Name” is definitely the exact right pop song for the first trailer for the rebooted Candyman. Written and produced by Jordan Peele and Win Rosenfeld, the movie will be directed by the red hot Nia DaCosta and is a sequel to the original 1992 film.
The Candyman is a mystical murderer who appears if you say his name five times in the mirror, and years after the events of the original movie, the Cabrini-Green neighborhood in Chicago is no longer a slum and is being quickly gentrified by Millennials. We all know how Millennials like to do dumb things. Struggling visual artist Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) and his girlfriend, gallery director Brianna Cartwright (Teyonah Parris), are such Millennials, and after having moved in, Anthony discovers the myth of the Candyman and begins working him into his art. Things don’t end up so well.
Like the original films themselves, though probably even more so, this version of Candyman looks to dive into the subjects of gentrification and race within our cities. Peele, like all good horror creators, leans heavily into metaphor with his film, and this one looks like it’s going to play out much the same but with a bit more slasher gore. Hopefully, DaCosta can balance the blood and guts with the social commentary and we get another classic.
Candyman also stars Nathan Stewart-Jarrett and Colman Domingo and will release on June 12, 2020. Check out the official poster below.
