The new version of Candyman is now gearing up for production, with Jordan Peele lending his talents to the Clive Barker adaptation. The movie is already generating questions about how it’ll update the storyline to incorporate contemporary issues, and one influence that Candyman will address head on is toxic fandom, at least according to Monkeypaw Creative Director Ian Cooper.
Speaking to Deadline at a conference panel, Cooper reflected on how Monkeypaw and Peele will continue the themes set up by their hits Get Out and Us. Cooper was candid about their desire to handle fan service, too, remarking as so:
“We talk a lot about fans and the idea of appeasing fans and when you do that and how do you do that and when do you not do that. I think my issue with fandom is that it’s really problematic. It’s probably the most problematic thing facing the genre.”
“It typically comes with a dogma that is abrasive and that is more resistant to change and permutation than you would think,” Cooper continued. “I think what we’re trying to do with Candyman is both be mischievous in how we address the relationship to the first film but also be very satisfying.”
Furthermore, Cooper wants Candyman to both reference and go in different directions to the 1992 adaptation. He particularly emphasized how their movie should work for new audiences who might be unfamiliar with the material, commenting:
“In a broad sense of the word, this film will stand alone if you’ve never heard of a film called Candyman and will dovetail in a pretty complicated and interesting way to the original. In short, I think this will really fit in with what we’re doing with Us and did with Get Out in a way that will be circuitous.”
We think that this is a sensible choice, given how iconic the original Candyman was. Its themes of racial history, mythology and use of frightening but politically charged supernatural themes also makes it a great fit for Jordan Peele’s style, even if he’s not directing.
We currently have Candyman down for a 2020 release, with Nia DaCosta on directing duties. Original star Tony Todd will also have a part in the reboot, while Chicago will again provide the location. Given the recent success of Us and the new Twilight Zone series, we’re feeling pretty confident that Peele can oversee an innovative new take on the Clive Barker-penned source material.