Exclusive: Candyman 2 Officially In The Works
Our trusted and proven sources know that horror can never truly die, and accordingly, Candyman 2 is now in the works.
It is pretty much impossible for a horror franchise to ever really end. While it may seem like a slasher might disappear after the box office grosses start going down and the sharks get jumped, they most likely just pivoted to direct-to-DVD releases (or nowadays, streaming). Even when that dries up, a franchise is just waiting for the inevitable reboot. In 2021, the Candyman series finally got its reboot (or more precisely, legacy sequel) and according to our trusted and proven sources, it was successful enough that Candyman 2 is currently in development.
The 2021 Candyman film was directed by Nia DaCosta and, despite multiple Covid-19 related delays, managed to make a respectable $77 million dollars at the box office (off a relatively small $25 million budget). Combined with the very solid 84% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it looks like that was enough to get Candyman 2 made.
It is not currently known whether Nia DaCosta is onboard to return to direct; she is currently in post-production of the very anticipated MCU movie The Marvels. Given that she is working on editing the film with her Candyman collaborator Catrin Hedström, it can be assumed that a Candyman 2 could potentially involve the pair teaming up once again.
Candyman 2 would also potentially involve filmmaker Jordan Peele returning as producer. Peele has spent the last five years or so building a reputation as a modern horror mastermind with Get Out, Us, and his Twilight Zone revival. His upcoming film Nope (shrouded in mystery as it is) seems poised to continue that trend in his career, so it would be no surprise for him to return in some capacity for Candyman 2.
Then the question becomes whether star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II might return for Candyman 2. Although SPOILER his character Anthony McCoy seemingly died at the end of the 2021 movie, it also seemed his spirit was somehow absorbed into the “hive’ of original Candyman Daniel Robitaille (Tony Todd) and could reappear in some fashion. Also, it is a horror movie literally about people coming back from the dead, so there is not really an issue there. On the other hand, Abdul-Mateen II is set to star in the upcoming Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom and may become further ensconced in the DCEU and its upcoming slate of movies.
Regardless of whether Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jordan Peele, Nia DaCosta, or Tony Todd return, it looks like Candyman 2 is a go. The 2021 film rebooted the franchise to reflect more current takes on racial relations in the United States (and history), which is not a subject matter that is likely to go away anytime soon. It also firmly reset the timeline of the movies to directly follow the original 1992 film and positioned the title character as a modern urban legend that could be endlessly brought back in different iterations. Of all the modern horror characters to get that kind of reboot, Candyman is probably the most deserving, and we are already excited for Candyman 2.
