A new trailer for Nia DaCosta's Candyman shows the bloody return of the eponymous urban legend. Starring Watchmen's Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and WandaVision's Teyonah Parris, Candyman is a reboot of the 1992 cult classic of the same name with a new twist. The film will tackle themes like gentrification and generational trauma through the lens of the urban legend about a man with a hook for a hand. If anyone dare says his name five times in a mirror, he shall appear. That's where things get tricky for Mateen II's Anthony McCoy, a visual artist who becomes obsessed with the legend.

Parris plays Brianna Cartwright, Anthony's art gallery director girlfriend, who is forced to watch as his desire to turn the urban legend into art brings the horrific tale back to life. Colman Domingo, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Tony Todd, and Vanessa Estelle Williams round out the cast. Candyman is DaCosta's second major directorial feature after her work on 2018's Little Woods, starring Tessa Thompson and and Lily James. The horror feature will give audiences an idea of what the filmmaker has in store for another high profile picture she has in the works - upcoming Captain Marvel sequel, The Marvels.

Related: Summer Movies 2021: Everything Coming To Theaters (When They're Open)

Now, ahead of its release this August, Universal has unveiled a new trailer and poster for the Candyman. The clip begins with Domingo's William Burke describing the legend at the center of the film before warning Anthony McCoy to "stay away." Naturally, Anthony doesn't heed the warning, telling his girlfriend that he "feels really connected to this story." This connection looks to be leading him down a dark and bloody path, one that will revive the legend and terrorize a new generation of residents in Chicago. Check out the clip below:

candyman poster

Candyman was originally scheduled to be released on June 12, 2020, but pandemic related delays pushed the film into 2021. DaCosta made it clear that she wants audiences to see the film together, not only for the communal experience of watching a movie with an audience, but because one of the most prominent themes of the film is community. That shows in this latest trailer, one that seems to encompass the expansive cast and how the titular murderer will haunt everyone involved.

Luckily for DaCosta, theaters look to be slowly recovering from the last year and it seems audiences are craving horror. A Quiet Place Part II broke pandemic box office records during its opening weekend at the end of May. Similarly, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It drew in a sizable amount during its opening weekend. With Candyman coming so much later in the summer, it seems likely audiences will have gotten used to being back in the theater by this time and, if the trailer is any indication, they're in for a bloody and thrilling ride.

More: Every Horror Movie Coming In Summer 2021

Source: Universal

Key Release Dates