The New Candyman: Everything You Need to Know

(Updated 08/02/2021)

Say his name five times and unspeakable horrors will befall you — but they'll be some of the best scares you get at the movies this year. CANDYMAN is back, from director Nia DaCosta and producer/co-writer Jordan Peele (GET OUT, US). This new Candyman movie takes place right where the original did — in Chicago's now-gentrified Cabrini Green housing project — and features the return of the terrifying hook-handed title character played by Tony Todd.

Two trailers for CANDYMAN has been released to freak us all out; the latest is full of blood and bees and scares. We noticed quite a few great touches in the footage. Here's everything you need to know about the new CANDYMAN.

When Does Candyman Come Out?

The new CANDYMAN movie comes to theatres on August 27.

Watch the New Candyman Trailer!

While the first CANDYMAN trailer was a perfect introduction to this continuation of the Candyman story, the new trailer is even better. We meet a painter who is interested in the story of Candyman and the Chicago housing project in which it was born — and we see how that interest might lead the guy's life into a very dark place.

Like the first trailer, this is excellent because it focuses on the concept and the horror, and doesn't go out of its way to point out all the points of connection between this new CANDYMAN and the original movie. Pointing out those details is what we're here for, however, so let's get to it!

Sequel or Reboot?

First up: This is a direct sequel to the original movie! CANDYMAN can also be seen as a reboot of sorts, because it has a few new actors playing familiar characters, and it will be welcoming to new viewers. But Yahya Abdul-Mateen II ("Watchmen," AQUAMAN) plays Anthony McCoy, who was kidnapped as a baby in the original movie, and Vanessa A. Williams (above) returns as his mother, Anne-Marie McCoy.

Helen Lyle, the main character played by Virginia Madsen in the original movie, appears as well, now played by Cassie Kramer — but Madsen also appears, as the first trailer reveals. So we'll probably see at least one flashback to the time period of the original movie.

Will Tony Todd Return?

Yes! Tony Todd played Candyman in the original movie and in the two sequels, FAREWELL TO THE FLESH and DAY OF THE DEAD. Todd has said he'll be in the new movie, too, but the trailers are shy about revealing him. In one shot (above) we see what looks like Todd's face reflected in a car window near Yahya Abdul-Mateen II's character Anthony McCoy.

Just as the original movie built surprising ties between Candyman and Virginia Madsen's character, it seems like the new CANDYMAN will do something similar to Anthony McCoy. And, of course, there's the question of how the end of Madsen's character's story in the first movie will play into this new chapter.

A Gentrified Generation

The question of gentrification has been a part of the CANDYMAN movies since the beginning. Helen Lyle lived in a condo building that was originally a housing project; after superficial improvements were made to the building, it was sold off to buyers who never would have lived in a housing project.

In the new movie, Anthony McCoy, now an artist, returns to the site of the project that was his home as an infant. The art he photographs is a direct reflection of the street art seen in the original movie; we even catch a glimpse of the "sweets for the sweet" tag, which was a big part of the 1992 film.

The Candyman Trailer Song

If you've already watched the footage, we probably don't need to point out that the first CANDYMAN trailer features a creepy remix of "Say My Name" by Destiny's Child. Still, what a great choice! Since the whole Candyman concept revolves around invoking the demon by saying his name five times in a mirror, it's like the song and movie were made for one another.

The Candyman Filmmakers

Jordan Peele's name is all over the new CANDYMAN trailer, and for good reason. The director of GET OUT and US set this new adaptation of Clive Barker's story "The Forbidden" in motion, and he co-wrote the script, with Win Rosenfeld and Nia DaCosta. (Barker still gets a story credit.)

Nia DaCosta, meanwhile, also directs this chapter in the long-running series. She previously made the intense and effective movie LITTLE WOODS, starring Tessa Thompson and Lily James as half-sisters who fall into moving drugs across the US-Canadian border in order to make money. DaCosta is a promising new voice, and her directorial touch should set CANDYMAN apart from all the other films in the series. We can't wait to be terrified.

Want to learn about more new horror movies coming soon?

All images courtesy of Universal Pictures.