The 1990s was a strange, largely fallow decade for the horror genre in wide release, a time when many of its sub-genres were running out of steam, at least before the jolt of electricity that was Scream in 1996. This time period is one of the reasons that 1992’s Candyman stood out as something unique and bizarre—part slasher movie, part ghost story, and with a visual aesthetic all its own, the Clive Barker adaptation blazed an unusual trail in telling the story of a black artist who is lynched and returns for supernatural vengeance.
Given that subject matter, it’s easy to understand why Jordan Peele, the writer-director of Get Out, seems to have taken an interest. Bloody Disgusting reported yesterday that the Oscar winner (best screenplay for Get Out “is in talks” to produce a remake—one that he might or might not direct—via his Monkeypaw Productions studio. Presumably, this would be a full-on remake with an entirely new cast, rather than a belated sequel (there were two Candyman sequels of questionable quality) starring Tony Todd as the titular Candyman, or Virginia Madsen as the first film’s original protagonist, Helen.
Perhaps if Peele went the producer’s route, he’d even be interested in bringing back the original film’s director, Englishman Bernard Rose. Rose has stated in recent years that he’d be interested in helming a “proper” sequel to the original film, which would bring back the original characters.
One thing is for certain, and that’s how full Peele’s plate has become ever since the success of Get Out. He’s currently in the process of filming his sophomore film Us, and he’s also been linked to a remake of The Twilight Zone, along with The Hunt and Lovecraft Country. He was even a producer on this summer’s well-reviewed Spike Lee joint, BlacKkKlansman.
Will that leave any time for the likes of Candyman? And does anyone but the most dedicated of ‘90s horror geeks really remember the Candyman character at this point, except for the urban legend aspect of saying his name five times into a dark mirror? We’ll just have to wait and see if Peele wants to roll the dice with that kind of nichey horror nostalgia.