Jordan Peele is an incredibly exciting filmmaker and storyteller who has hit the ground running with horror films Get Out and Us, and up next, he seems to have his heart set on producing the reboot to Candyman, a fantastic horror character made famous by Tony Todd in the 90s. With his production company Monkeypaw, Peels has also bring forth series like the new incarnation of The Twilight Zone and the coming-soon Lovecraft Country. Monkeypaw’s Creative Director Ian Cooper recently spoke of the concept for the new Candyman being centered on toxic fandom.
If you haven’t heard the term, it’s one that has been a hot topic of conversation among the film community as of late, with trolls attacking films like The Last Jedi or shows like Game of Thrones for not giving the audience exactly what they want.
Cooper was quoted as saying:
“I think what we’re trying to do with ‘Candyman’ is both be mischievous in how we address the relationship to the first film but also be very satisfying.”
This quote came from an interesting discussion on fandom and the problem of toxicity, so it will be interesting to see exactly where the new Candyman goes.
What’s great about this property is that it is perfect for the reboot treatment. While the characters and franchise are regarded quite well among horror fans, the term classic hasn’t been really applied to them. It feels like a franchise you wouldn’t have to be afraid to play around with and try something new, and it seems from both Peele’s previous comments and Cooper’s new ones that there is a complex take on where to go with this new installment, one that has been cloaked in mystery and some confusion. I’m ecstatic to see that Peele and Cooper seem to know exactly what they want to do with this property.
So what do you think? Have you experienced toxic fandom? Are you excited to see this new take on the Candyman franchise and mythos? Let me know/Drop a comment below!
Candyman returns on June 12, 2020.
-Kyle A. Goethe
GOAT Film Reviews 
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