‘Come with me and be immortal’: Horror classic ‘Candyman’ to be brought back to life by Jordan Peele

The Chicago-themed terror tale is being brought back to the big screen by the man who scared us out of our wits with 'Get Out'

Kia Morgan-Smith

Nov 28, 2018

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The cult classic horror film Candyman, which had been one of a handful horror flicks to place a black character in a lead role, is set for a reboot from Get Out’s Jorden Peele.

Variety reports “Little Woods” director and writer Nia DaCosta will direct the remake. DaCosta joins Peele for the reimagining of the old horror classic that will be produced by Peele, Win Rosenfeld, and MGM.

Candyman is an adaption of horror icon Clive Barker’s short story “The Forbidden” from his “Books of Blood” collection.

“We cannot wait for the world to see what the mind-blowing combination of Jordan, Win, and Nia bring to the legend of Candyman. 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,” said MGM Motion Picture Group president Jonathan Glickman.

According to the film synopsis, “Candyman is a ‘spiritual sequel”’ to the original film. It returns to the neighborhood where the legend began: the now-gentrified section of Chicago where the Cabrini-Green housing projects once stood. Production is expected to begin next spring. Universal Pictures will release the movie theatrically on June 12, 2020.”

“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 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,” said Peele who is also executive producer of the upcoming CBS Twilight Zone reboot. He will produce the film through his Monkeypaw Productions.

Peele made history at the 90th Annual Academy Awards becoming the first African American to win the award for Best Original Screenplay for his 2017 thriller.