Oral History of ‘Candyman’ 2021 with Nia DaCosta & Yahya Abdul-Mateen II | Rotten Tomatoes

Candyman, Candyman, Candyman, Candyman, Cand… nah, we’re way too chicken to even try it. And if you’ve seen the trailer for director Nia DaCosta’s spiritual sequel to the early-1990s slasher classic, ‘Candyman,’ you would be too. The highly anticipated film, from Jordan Peele’s production company Monkeypaw, promises a terrifying and fresh take on the legend of the hooked killer, one that digs into issues like the cyclical suppression of Black Americans as it delivers its genre thrills. Ahead of the movie’s release in theaters this August, Rotten Tomatoes sat down with DaCosta and star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, who plays a grown-up Anthony McCoy, the kidnapped infant from the 1992 movie. In our exclusive extended conversation, the filmmaker and star open up about expanding the franchise’s mythology, the ways in which horror films can reflect (and critique) the real world that inspires them, Jordan Peele’s impact on the genre, and why they felt compelled to continue the ‘Candyman’ story.