Candyman Trailer Jordan Peele And Nia Dacosta Revamp Horror Classic

Here’s the official synopsis from Universal: Peele has described this new riff as a “spiritual sequel” to the original 1992 “Candyman,” which was written and directed by Bernard Rose and based on a short story by Clive Barker. The film starred Virginia Madsen, Tony Todd, Vanessa Estelle Williams, and an early acting performance by “Harriet” filmmaker Kasi Lemmons. Both Todd and Williams reprise their roles in this update. 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 terrifying wave of violence that puts him on a collision course with destiny.”

In a recent video interview released on Juneteenth, DaCosta drew several parallels between “Candyman” and real-world events, noting how horror can be used to analyze important social and cultural issues. “In the real world, we create monsters of men all the time,” the director said. “People are murdered and they become either saints or they are vilified. So, throughout the last year and a half, it was always coming back to that truth. Horror is a really effective tool when it comes to telling stories about things that impact us on a social level. The very function of it is to make you uncomfortable and I think if that discomfort is attached to explorations of race or gender you have to then reconcile your feelings about race and gender.” Universal Pictures will release “Candyman” in theaters on August 27. Check out the chilling trailer below.