The upcoming Candyman film, directed and co-written by Nia DaCosta and written and produced by Jordan Peele, has received a R rating for ‘bloody violence, language and some sexuality’ ahead of its October 16th release.

DaCosta’s Candyman

In November of 2018 Vulture announced that Jordan Peele would produce and write a sequel to the 1992 horror film Candyman. Nia DaCosta signed on to co-write and direct, hot off the success of her film Little Woods. Tony Todd will reprise the role of Candyman, the murderous, hook handed ghost of a lynched painter. Summoned by looking into a mirror and saying his name three times. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II stars as Anthony McCoy, a visual artist obsessed the the legend of Candyman. With Teyonah Parris playing his love interest Brianna Cartwright. Filming took place over the summer of 2019 and the first chilling trailer dropped in February 2020.

‘Bloody Violence’

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lSztJ2buU0Y

The film was originally slated for a July 2020 release. Until the COVID-19 pandemic wrecked merry hell on all of Hollywood’s plans for productions and releases for the foreseeable future. The theatrical release of Candyman was moved from July 2020 to September 2020, then to October 16th 2020. The film has finally been submitted for rating and came back with an R. For ‘bloody violence, language and some sexuality’. This confirms that the film will be a spiritual successor to the first. As the original also had penchant for bloody violence and some sexuality.

Expectations

The original Candyman was written and directed by Bernard Rose. Based on short story by Clive Barker, who also produced the original film adaptation. Candyman is an iconic horror film but its exact status within the canon of horror cinema is disputed. Many critics and audiences dismissed it as an entertainer but pulpy slasher or a ‘cult classic’. But there are others who see it as one of the greatest horror films of all time. Predominantly African Americans horror fans an filmmakers and most notable Jordan Peele. That may seem like a high bar for DaCosta’s film. But the trailers have already promised a high quality film. Certainly higher in quality than either of the direct to video sequels at least. Hopefully we’ll all get to see in October when the film finally debuts in theaters.