“A Nightmare on Elm Street” baddie Freddy Krueger is famous and infamous the world over for being the stuff that bad dreams are made of. There is another figure—however—who invades those dimensions like Krueger but doesn’t get the attention that the “Springwood Slasher” receives. He wears a furry coat and wields a hook as his weapon of choice. And what about the bees? Not the bees! Sorry, Nicolas Cage. The point is that he is Daniel Robitaille. Most fans—though—know him as “Candyman,” and he is set to make his presence felt in the Windy City once again.
Helming the film—based on a short story from Clive Barker’s “Books of Blood”—is relative newcomer Nia DaCosta, director and screenwriter of the critically-acclaimed movie “Little Woods.” You would be hard-pressed to find someone today who has the level of clout—certainly in horror—that “Get Out” and “Us” mastermind Jordan Peele possesses. He and Win Rosenfeld produce—along with Ian Cooper—the project, and the pair contribute to the screenplay. In addition, the film follows a familiar path taken by 2018’s “Halloween,” serving as a sequel and—essentially—reboot of the original. The undeniable box office success of David Gordon Green’s movie does speak volumes but—as a die-hard fan of John Carpenter’s masterpiece—just consider the cliché but true saying: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
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Thankfully, Tony Todd is back as the title character, ready to hack and slash new additions to his chilling congregation. Standing in his way is a solid cast that includes Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (“Watchmen” & “Aquaman”), Teyonah Parris (“If Beale Street Could Talk” & “Chi-Raq”), and Colman Domingo (“Fear the Walking Dead” & “Euphoria”).
Here’s the synopsis:
A “spiritual sequel” to the 1992 horror film ‘Candyman’ that returns to the now-gentrified Chicago neighborhood where the legend began.
“Candyman”—distributed by Universal Pictures—is set to hit theaters on June 12. Check out the trailer below. Better yet, look into a mirror and say his name five times. He dares you.