Sure, in the Horror Film Hall of Fame, “Candyman” might not be up there next to “Halloween,” “Nightmare on Elm Street,” or “Friday the 13th,” but there are plenty of kids that grew up in the ‘90s that are still scared of saying his name five times in front of a mirror. But with the help of Jordan Peele, director Nia DaCosta, and apparently, Lakeith Stanfield, maybe “Candyman” will earn legendary status in the new millennium.
According to Collider, Stanfield is in talks to star in the upcoming “Candyman” reboot co-written by Peele and DaCosta and directed by the latter filmmaker. And if a reteaming of Stanfield on a Jordan Peele project, after their success with “Get Out” isn’t enough to get your excited, then you’re probably the same type of soulless individual that isn’t afraid of saying the name in the mirror.
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For those not a fan of mid-tier ‘90s slasher films, “Candyman” tells the story of the urban legend of a killer that stalks teens after they say his name five times in the mirror. The killer is the long-dead artist and son of a slave that was killed in the late-19th century. He’s perhaps best known for having a hook jammed into the stump where his hand should be.
Stanfield is one of the best actors working today. He’s probably best known either for his starring role in last year’s “Sorry to Bother You” or as the scene-stealing character on the hit FX series “Atlanta.” He also has two big films coming for 2019, with the Safdie Brothers’ upcoming “Uncut Gems” and Rian Johnson’s star-studded mystery “Knives Out.”
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One important note is that DaCosta and Peele are not hoping that Stanfield will be the titular bad guy. Instead, they’re looking at the actor to star as the protagonist in the film, which featured Virginia Madsen in the role in the 1992 original film.
There’s no release date for the film, but with casting underway, we can imagine that production will begin shortly.
