Hot on the heels of this week’s announcement that Aquaman and The Get Down star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is in talks to star in Nia DaCosta’s Candyman, THR reports that Teyonah Parris is also being eyed for a role in the upcoming reboot.
Though Parris has previously landed major gigs in Chi-Raq, Mad Men and Dear White People, the actress’s last big screen outing was If Beale Street Could Talk, the latest Oscar-winner from Barry Jenkins. While it was previously reported that Abdul-Mateen was being eyed to play Candyman himself, THR alleges that the actor would instead assume the role of an artist who becomes obsessed with the Candyman legend, while Parris is in talks to play his art dealer girlfriend.
As it stands, both Parris and Abdul-Mateen are still in negotiations for their respective parts, but it’s clear already that the “spiritual sequel” to 1992’s Candyman is aiming a fair bit higher than your average horror remake. Of course, the prestigious cast doesn’t come as much of a surprise, seeing how the movie is being produced by Jordan Peele, whose directorial debut Get Out was that all too rare horror movie to get Academy attention.
Even original Candyman actor Tony Todd mentioned earlier this year in an interview with Dread Central that he was “honored” that “someone of Jordan Peele’s caliber” wanted to resurrect a series that he helped launch. There are certainly worse names to be attached to a horror project, but we’ll find out if Peele and DaCosta can do the property justice when the next Candyman arrives in theaters on June 12th, 2020. In the meantime, Peele’s Us is headed for cinemas on March 22nd, 2019.
