Since the debut of “Tenet” in theaters, analysts have been paying close attention to see if the current state of theaters (with reduced capacities and stringent safety protocols) could support a major studio release. Well, the answer isn’t as cut and dry as people would have hoped. This has led to a mass exodus of studios in the fall months, with “Candyman,” “Wonder Woman 1984,” and more reportedly moving to late-2020/early-2021. But in the case of “Candyman,” apparently there’s more to the story than just financials.
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According to a new report from THR, it’s said that Jordan Peele (co-writer and producer on “Candyman” through his Monkeypaw production company) was a “prominent” force in the decision to move the horror film from October of this year into sometime in 2021. And the reason that he wanted to move the film has more to do with his desire not to encourage people to go back to cinemas in the middle of a pandemic.
Basically, the report paints the picture of Peele taking the opposite approach as Christopher Nolan, who wanted to make sure “Tenet” arrived in theaters and has publicly been pushing for people to go visit cinemas. Peele apparently wants people to wait until the theaters are safer and more people can watch the film without worrying about getting sick.
In a statement, Monkeypaw said the ‘Candyman’ filmmakers “very much want a theatrical release for the film, which is why it has been pushed to 2021. The communal audience experience is crucial for ‘Candyman’ and, right now, that is not available to everyone due to capacity restrictions and closed theaters. We are simply waiting for a time when all horror fans can have that experience.”
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This is a similar stance to that of the filmmakers behind the release, “Synchronic,” who went a step further and took to social media to ask people to wait until VOD to check out their film instead of crowding in indoor cinemas. It’s unclear if this type of decision was behind the moves of other features that were supposed to come out in 2020 that have been pushed, but you have to believe that there are more people thinking the same way as Peele.
As of now, “Candyman” doesn’t have a new release date, but will arrive in cinemas sometime in 2021.