With the new Candyman expected to begin production in Chicago this summer, there’s been renewed interest in the original 1992 version of Clive Barker’s tale. This has happily meant that Candyman himself, Tony Todd, has been interviewed about his experiences on the movie and the importance of the franchise.
One of the more notable stories from an interview in The Guardian was that Todd received a bonus for being actually stung during one of the film’s most memorable sequences.
“I negotiated a bonus of $1,000 for every sting during the bee scene,” said the actor. “And I got stung 23 times. Everything that’s worth making has to involve some sort of pain. Once I realized it was an important part of who Candyman was, I embraced it. It was like putting on a beautiful coat.
That means Todd received about $23,000 for taking the stings, which isn’t a bad, if uncomfortable, perk. Candyman fans will remember the scene in question, too, where bees spill out of Todd’s mouth.
In the same interview, the actor also described how director Bernard Rose and female lead Virginia Madsen used hypnotism to create the appropriate reaction of her character to the Candyman.
Todd, who’s had a long career as both a genre stalwart and blues musician, also talked about the importance of Candyman to addressing gang violence, and how Jordan Peele and Nia DaCosta’s new take will update these themes to the present.
“They’re planning to shoot entirely in Chicago, where Cabrini-Green has been torn down and gentrified – the new film will explore all that.”
We’ve heard that the new Candyman will pay homage to and depart from the 1992 original, and will also address toxic fandom. The actor who will step into Todd’s shoes for the movie, which is likely to arrive in early 2020, is still a mystery. Although Aquaman star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II was slated for the role, that now doesn’t seem to be the case. It’s also possible that Todd could reprise his most iconic character, having confirmed he’s involved in the production, but again, it remains unclear what’s going on with the part.
Whoever takes it though, it’s probably unlikely that they’ll go for live bees again, shooting down the chance of more “bee sting” cash.
