One of horror’s most underrated franchises may be coming back thanks to one of the genre’s most exciting new voices.
Bloody Disgusting reports that Oscar winner Jordan Peele is in talks to produce a remake of the 1992 film Candyman, which starred Tony Todd and Virginia Madsen, and was directed by Bernard Rose.
If you don’t know Candyman, that’s something you should fix soon, especially with Halloween only a few weeks away.
Based on a short story by Clive Barker, it’s a scary, visceral horror film set in and around a high-rise housing project in Chicago. The title villain is the son of a slave who had his hand severed, replaced with a hook, was killed by bees, and is magically conjured by repeating his name five times in front of a mirror. It spawned two sequels.
While Peele is still only in talks and may end up just producing (if working on a remake at all), this news feels oddly serendipitous. Horror is having a moment right now, in no small part because of the financial and critical success of Get Out.
That film made Peele, previously known for his comedy chops, into one of the most in-demand genre creators in Hollywood. His name has been attached to several high profile projects, such as the Akira remake and a Twilight Zone reboot.
He’s been said to be considering a Get Out sequel, but his next film is called Us, a mysterious, star-studded genre project which Universal will release in March.
So for him to potentially use that clout to bring back an under-appreciated horror franchise seems like a wonderful way to keep pumping life into the genre that he helped give a boost. Again though, there’s no guarantee Candyman happens. And if it does, there probably isn’t a great chance that Peele directs it.
Still, for fans of the franchise, this feels like the first “Candyman” into the mirror. Only a few more to go.