In his short story collection Books of Blood, Hellraiser creator Clive Barker published The Forbidden; a story that would later be adapted as Candyman in 1992. The iconic horror film spawned several sequels and tie-in merchandise, making the name Candyman almost as recognizable as urban legend Bloody Mary. Now a new generation of moviegoers will have the chance to be terrified as Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions will be teaming up with MGM to produce a new Candyman film.
Jonathan Glickman, MGM’s President, made the announcement today and stated the film will have a 2020 release date. According to him, filmmaker Nia DaCosta will direct the picture based on a screenplay written by Jordan Peele and Win Rosenfield.
The film is being dubbed a “spiritual sequel”, taking place in the same neighborhood where the familiar Cabrini Green apartments once stood. Production will begin in Spring 2019.
According to Glickman,
“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.
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 will be released by Universal on June 12, 2020.