Just like when you accidentally only say his name four times in a mirror, it seems Candyman will be waiting a little while longer before he can make his grand entrance. On Friday, Universal Pictures sent out a press release officially pushing back director Nia DaCosta’s upcoming “spiritual sequel†to the 1992 horror film yet again. Initially scheduled to debut on June 12, the new Candyman from Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions has now been moved from its October 16 release day to an unspecified date in 2021.
The new film revisits the site of the original movie, Chicago’s Cabrini-Green neighborhood, through the eyes of painter Anthony McCoy, the now-adult baby kidnapped by the franchise’s supernatural villain in the first film (presumably!). Played by Watchmen’s Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Anthony, desperate for inspiration to restart his artistic career, begins investigating the urban legend of the Candyman, who is, of course, all too happy to fill him in. Or, if the trailer is any indication, hollow him out, and take right over. We’re not absolutely sure what his plans are, but we hope to find out just as soon as we can, come next year.