Candyman trailer looks to hook your attention

Jordan Peele is a producer and one of the co-writers of Candyman (out June 12), a “spiritual sequel” to the 1992 horror film which starred Tony Todd as a hook-wielding supernatural killer. On Tuesday morning, at a Los Angeles screening of the sequel’s trailer, the Get Out writer-director explained why the original film is so important to him.

“My connection with Candyman is pretty simple,” said Peele. “It was one of the few movies that explored any aspect of the black experience in the horror genre in the ’90s, when I was growing up. It was an iconic example to me of representation in the genre and a movie that inspired me.”

The 2020 Candyman stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as a visual artist named Anthony McCoy who moves in to a luxury loft in the formerly rundown Chicago neighborhood of Cabrini Green with his girlfriend, gallery director Brianna Cartwright (Teyonah Parris).

With Anthony’s painting career on the brink of stalling, a chance encounter with a Cabrini Green old-timer (Colman Domingo) exposes Anthony to the tragically horrific nature of the true story behind Candyman. Anxious to maintain his status in the Chicago art world, Anthony begins to explore these macabre details in his studio as fresh grist for paintings, unknowingly opening a door to a complex past that unravels his own sanity and unleashes a terrifyingly viral wave of violence that puts him on a collision course with destiny.

What neither that synopsis, nor the new trailer, makes clear is who exactly is playing Candyman. While the trailer hints that Abdul-Mateen II’s character is possessed by the spirit of Candyman it is also possible that he could still be played by Todd, or that the actor plays some other role.

So, does Tony Todd appear in the film? On that subject, director Nia DaCosta (Little Woods) was less than loquacious at the trailer screening.

“Well, well, well,” said the filmmaker. “I really love Tony Todd and he’s iconic. I will say what we’ve done with this film — is great! And I don’t want to give anything away.”

The new Candyman is written by Peele and Win Rosenfeld. Watch the trailer above.

Related content:

• Jordan Peele talks black horror in trailer for documentary Horror Noire
• Jordan Peele to co-write sequel to horror film Candyman