New Candyman Trailer Brings The Jump Scares

A new trailer has dropped for the upcoming reboot/sequel of Candyman. Originally set to hit theaters last June, the horror film endured a string of delays due to the pandemic, but the wait is nearly over for it to finally land in theaters on August 27, 2021.

Directed by Nia DaCosta and produced by Jordan Peele (Get Out), the film has had several different trailers dating back to February 2020. A follow-up to the classic 1992 original also by the same name–and based on Clive Barker story’s “The Forbidden”–this version stars Yaya Abdul-Mateen II (Watchmen, Aquaman) and Teyonah Parris (WandaVision). Tony Todd, who played Candyman in the 1992 original will be reprising his role.

The movie is expected to mix slasher thrills and chills with big scares and an equal emphasis on social commentary. Recently, DaCosta shared a promotional message for Juneteenth that expressed the importance of the horror genre to convey messages about the real-world trauma and suffering still being experienced by Black people.

This contemporary version of the cult classic is set in the “now gentrified beyond recognition and inhabited by upwardly mobile millennials” Cabrini Green neighborhood of Chicago. The protagonist is a visual artist “anxious to maintain his status in the Chicago art world,” who winds up learning of Candyman’s legend and incorporating elements of it in his paintings, which “unknowingly opening a door to a complex past that unravels his own sanity and unleashes a terrifying wave of violence that puts him on a collision course with destiny.”

You can also check out our thorough run-down of everything we know about the horror sequel here. Despite its origins as a moderate success nearly 30 years ago, Candyman has continued to stand as one of the best horror films of the 90s–an an intelligent, scary, and beautifully-made chiller that has stood the test of time.