Universal Pictures has debuted the first trailer for the upcoming horror reboot Candyman from director Nia DaCosta () and producer Jordan Peele (Get Out). A “spiritual sequel” to 1992 cult horror, the new film stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Watchmen) as an artist who after hearing of the legend of the Candyman, unwittingly unleashes a terrifying wave of violence; watch the trailer here, and be sure to let us know what you make of it, either in the comments or on our social channels @flickeringmyth…
For as long as residents can remember, the housing projects of Chicago’s Cabrini Green neighborhood were terrorized by a word-of-mouth ghost story about a supernatural killer with a hook for a hand, easily summoned by those daring to repeat his name five times into a mirror. In present day, a decade after the last of the Cabrini towers were torn down, visual artist Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II; HBO’s Watchmen, Us) and his girlfriend, gallery director Brianna Cartwright (Teyonah Parris; If Beale Street Could Talk, The Photograph), move into a luxury loft condo in Cabrini, now gentrified beyond recognition and inhabited by upwardly mobile millennials.
With Anthony’s painting career on the brink of stalling, a chance encounter with a Cabrini Green old-timer (Colman Domingo; HBO’s Euphoria, Assassination Nation) exposes Anthony to the tragically horrific nature of the true story behind Candyman. Anxious to maintain his status in the Chicago art world, Anthony begins to explore these macabre details in his studio as fresh grist for paintings, unknowingly opening a door to a complex past that unravels his own sanity and unleashes a terrifyingly viral wave of violence that puts him on a collision course with destiny.
Candyman features a cast that also includes Teyonah Parris (If Beale Street Could Talk), Colman Domingo (Fear the Walking Dead), Rebecca Spence (Public Enemies), Cassie Kramer (Bimbo) and Nathan Stewart-Jarrett (Misfits), while Tony Todd is thought to be reprising his role as the titular boogeyman from the original series of slasher films.
Candyman is set for release on June 12th.