A new documentary set to be released this Spring seeks to explain the origins and impact of the Candyman horror movie franchise. Based on the short story "The Forbidden" by Clive Barker, 1992's Candyman featured Tony Todd as the titular, hook-handed fiend who magically appears and murders anyone who says his name five times into a mirror. The cult classic inspired two 1990s sequels, with a new soft reboot/sequel Candyman scheduled to arrive in Summer 2021.
An official trailer has been released by Miami Fox Publishing for The Complete History of Candyman, directed by Bryn Hammond (The Summer of the Massacre). The trailer suggests that the documentary dissects how Candyman's themes of racial strife operate within a genre that has a long and complicated relationship with Black artists and audiences. It also appears to offer its viewers a history of horror, from B-movie fare to the socially-minded slasher flicks of the 1970s and 80s that inspired Candyman.
The documentary should debut shortly before 2021's Candyman, directed by Nia DaCosta (Little Woods), produced and written by Jordan Peele, and starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Watchmen, The Trial of the Chicago 7). Buzz for the project has been building steadily, particularly since DaCosta released a haunting shadow puppet teaser amidst the Black Lives Matter protests. Given the talent attached, the current political moment, and the stunning pre-release footage, it isn't difficult to see how the latest Candyman could thrillingly deepen the complex social criticism of its predecessors.
Source: Miami Fox Publishing
