Contrary to the Internet’s (...always correct...) attribution, Jordan Peele is not the director of the film Candyman, he is simply a producer and co-writer of the upcoming revival of the ‘90s horror flick. Nia DaCosta, who is rising up the ranks as a filmmaker thanks to her work on Netflix’s Top Boy and the award-winning indie film Little Woods, was tapped to co-write and direct.
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In an interview with Empire for their June issue, Peele explains why he couldn’t have directed something like Candyman, although he has solidified himself as a master of horror thanks to his films Get Out and Us. While she doesn’t have a horror film background, he says DaCosta was the perfect choice, thanks to her overall abilities as a director.
“...Quite honestly, Nia is better to shoot this than I am,” he explains, also noting he was working on Us when Candyman was being filmed. “I’m way too obsessed with the original tales in my head. I probably wouldn’t be any good. But Nia has a steady manner about her which you don’t see a lot in the horror space. She’s refined, elegant, every shot is beautiful. It’s a beautiful, beautiful movie. I’m so glad I didn’t mess it up.”
The film aims to retell the story of the Candyman with some modern-day themes built in such as gentrification, which DaCosta says was imperative in order to display the world’s changes and how they affect black people specifically.
“There is definitely a sense of taking ownership, and telling a black story about black people,” she tells Empire. “It was very important for all of us to have our main character be black, and for this experience to be through the black lens. Let’s make sure we change the lens now.”
Candyman will be released on September 25. If it didn’t freak you out enough the first time, check out the trailer again below.
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