Universal Pictures

Some people have nothing but time on their hands as the nation has mostly hunkered down in quarantine due to the coronavirus pandemic.  If you’re bored, you can always go look into the mirror in your bathroom and say “Candyman” five times and see what happens.  Because that’s the only ‘Candyman’ action you’re going to get for a few months, as Universal Pictures has bumped the Jordan Peele-produced horror reboot from its original release date of June 12 to September 25.  In this new date, ‘Candyman’ replaces another Universal film, the romantic comedy ‘Praise This’, which was not rescheduled at this time.

This is just the latest film to see its release shifted due to the coronavirus and the shut-down of most movie theaters in the US and abroad.  Universal has already rescheduled ‘The Minions: Rise of Gru’ and ‘Fast & Furious 9’ and controversially chosen to forgo a theatrical release entirely for ‘Trolls World Tour’ and release it straight to streaming at a premium price.  (It should be about $20 for a two-day rental.)  ‘Fast & Furious 9’ was postponed until next year, a drastic move that mirrors the recent schedule changes implemented by Sony, which pushed would-be blockbusters ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’ and ‘Morbius’ to spring 2021.

Directed by Nia DaCosta, the new ‘Candyman’ is described as a “spiritual sequel” to the classic 1992 horror flick directed by Bernard Rose.  Yahya Abdul-Mateen II stars as Anthony McCoy, an artist whose star was on the rise, until he runs out of inspiration.  After he and his girlfriend, gallery director Brianna Cartwright, played by Teyonah Parris, buy a luxury loft in a gentrified neighborhood that was formerly the low-income Cabrini Green housing projects– the setting for the original movie– he becomes desperate to reclaim his former status in the art world.  He finds that inspiration in the urban legend of the Candyman, which is told to him by a lifelong resident of the neighborhood, William Burke, played by Colman Domingo.

Tony Todd, who portrayed the original Candyman is expected to appear, but it is unknown whether or not he is reprising his original role as a freed slave who was tortured and killed after falling in love with a white woman.  In revenge, he returned as a hook-wielding supernatural killer.

‘Candyman’ also stars Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Kyle Kaminsky, Brian King, Cassie Kramer, Miriam Moss, Rebecca Spence, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, and Vanessa Williams.

The screenplay was co-written by Academy Award winner Jordan Peele, who also acts as a producer.

How do you feel about this schedule change?

‘Candyman’ will now materialize in theaters on September 25, 2020.

Source: Variety