Candyman was first stemmed from the short story written by horror writer Clive Barker. The cinematic adaptation of Barker's writing was remodeled to fit within the city limits of Chicago, Illinois. Its urban approach addresses the issues around American classism and racism. The horror will continue the legend of the hook-hand haunter with a modern spin.
Aquaman and The Trial of the Chicago 7 star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is to lead as Anthony McCoy in director Nia DaCosta's sequel. After moving into the gentrified neighborhood of Cabrini, McCoy becomes fascinated with the legend of Candyman. McCoy attempts to maintain his grip on his sanity while plunging deeper into the sinister myth. Actor Tony Todd will haunt again and reprise his 1992 role as the Candyman. The overall theme of the film is to emphasize the alienation of a community from its source through gentrification.
The 2021 Candyman movie has been established as a sequel to the 1992 version and is not be categorized as a remake. This same tactic was used in 2018 with Halloween where pre-existing sequels were ignored and there is a continuous build on to the original plot. It has been confirmed that DaCosta's Candyman is to serve as official canon alongside the 1992 Candyman.
Marvel fans may recognize DaCosta after it was announced that she would direct the Captain Marvel sequel, The Marvels (2022). The movie is a Monkeypaw Productions film and it was first predicted that director Jordan Peele would direct. Peele has signed on as a producer for the film, but DaCosta makes it clear that this is her movie. Peele has praised DaCosta for her work and she keeps her social media feed stocked full of promotional material.
Peele has been regarded as a "master " of the horror genre. His esteemed reputation follows his work on Get Out (2017) and Us (2019). It is important to recognize that Peele is valuable to Candyman but has reiterated that he has chosen DaCosta as the movie's shot-caller.