When the news broke that Jordan Peele was producing a “spiritual sequel” to Bernard Rose’s 1992 cult horror hit Candyman, the mind of many a fan immediately went to the question of whether or not Tony Todd would be reprising his role as the titular killer, and while we’ve yet to get an answer on the matter, the Final Destination star himself seems happy to get involved in any way he can.
In an interview with Bloody Disgusting, the actor explained that he’d like to be a part of the Nia DaCosta-helmed film, whether this means returning as Candyman himself or taking on another role.
“I want to be a part of the project one way or the other,” Todd said. “Of course, I’d want to be a part of it. I helped create this character. I helped bring him to life so I’m sure if Boris Karloff was asked the same thing, he would say exactly what I say. I know the character inside and out.”
Since the movie is still almost a year-and-a-half away from release, details on the project remain thin, and while Todd hasn’t yet discussed his potential involvement with Peele, he acknowledges that the time probably isn’t right for such a conversation.
“No, I haven’t talked to him yet but I know he’s a fan,” Todd said. “They’re not going to shoot until deep this year so contracts are weird. You don’t want to get into contracts too soon because then you’re locked in.”
Though neither of the two Candyman sequels spawned back in the ‘90s are as fondly remembered as the original, Todd has hope that Peele’s production will stay true to the spirit of the first film.
“I hope so,” Todd said. “I know that it’s in good hands with Jordan Peele. I love his new trailer for Us and I know he loves the character and he respects the legacy. No matter what my personal involvement is, the fact that it’s getting done again will just bring new attention to the original source material. So it’s a win-win for everybody and a win-win for horror fans.”
While we still have much to learn about Peele and DaCosta’s Candyman, there’ll be plenty of time to get the details before the film hits theaters on June 12th, 2020. In the meantime, Peele’s next directorial effort, Us will be coming out on March 15th of this year, and as for Todd, you’ll be able to catch him in another popular horror franchise, assuming the third season of Scream ever sees the light of day.
