This year’s reboot of Candyman features some surprise returning characters from the original film. The new Jordan Peele production, directed by Nia DaCosta, also has some actors reprising their roles from the 1992 film – and some intriguing replacements.

Bernard Rose’s Candyman was one of the few horror films from the 90’s to generate big scares and critical praise. Based on Clive Barker’s short story The Forbidden, the film focused on the  urban myth of a supernatural hook-handed killer – and his all-too-real inception in Chicago’s Cabrini Green housing project. Tony Todd played the insidious entity, who can be conjured by calling his name five times while staring into a mirror. The film also featured Virginia Madsen as college grad student Helen Lyle - whose thesis on urban legends helped to awaken Candyman. Terrific performances by the leads along with assured direction from Rose created what is now regarded as a classic of the genre.

As with most successful horror films, Candyman inspired a few underwhelming follow-ups. While the 1995 sequel Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh is a technically solid production, the story is basically a slight reworking of the original. It also contradicts aspects of Rose’s film  – offering an unsatisfying retcon of Candyman’s past. Candyman 3: Day of the Dead was a low budget, DTV production that worked as a direct sequel to Farewell. While the second installment had some scope, and director Bill Condon to generate some effective performances, the third outing was threadbare and only of interest for fans of Todd - who appears in all three.

New Candyman Brings Back Returning Actors/Characters

Early buzz surrounding the new Candyman film was that it was a reboot and would not feature actor Todd in his iconic role. Since the release of the full trailer, and a recent tease from the film’s director, both of these facts appear to be false. What the studio is referring to as a “spiritual sequel” seems to be a direct follow-up to the original film. Todd is rumored to be back as Daniel Robitaille, the unfortunate innocent murdered because of his relationship with a white woman. While Todd’s casting has yet to be confirmed, Vanessa Williams appears in the trailer reprising her role as Anne Marie McCoy. Fans of the original will remember her as the Cabrini Green tenant whose baby, Anthony, was stolen by Candyman.

Bridging this new installment with the original are a couple of intriguing returning characters. Helen Lyle, played by Madsen in the original, is listed in the cast as Cassie Kramer. Since Lyle died in the ’92 film, this might mean there are flashbacks in some capacity. Listed first on the cast list is Aquaman’s Yahya Abdul-Mateen II who plays Anthony McCoy – Anne Marie’s grown up infant from the original. However this new film is framed, the returning characters seem to indicate a follow-up more along the lines of Halloween 2018. Fans of the series will be able to find out for themselves when Candyman 2020 is released this summer.

Next: Candyman Returning Actors Connect 2020 Movie To Original

  • Candyman Release Date: 2021-08-27