Jordan Peele’s ‘Candyman’ Postponed Until September
By Rebecca Rubin
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – “Candyman,” a reboot of the 1992 slasher film, has pushed its June 12 release date because theaters are still closed in response to the coronavirus pandemic. It will now open on Sept. 25, 2020.
Universal, the studio distributing the film, has also moved “Praise This,” which was originally set for Sept. 25. It now remains undated.
Universal has already delayed several major movies — “Minions: Rise of Gru,” “Fast & Furious” entry “F9” and “Sing 2,” in addition to removing “Wicked” from its release calendar — as Hollywood continues to grapple with the novel virus.
The studio took the bold step of forgoing a theatrical release entirely for “Trolls World Tour,” while “F9” will instead hit the big screen in 2021, claiming the release spot previously occupied by the franchise’s 10th installment. But so far, other tentpoles that have been postponed are still expected to eventually release in theaters.
For now, it is unclear how long movie theaters across the country will remain closed. But since many public gathering spaces have been shuttered to lower the risk of coronavirus exposure, theaters might have to keep their lights off for the foreseeable future as the virus has essentially already wiped out all of summer blockbuster season.
Other major movies that have been delayed include Warner Bros.’ “Wonder Woman” and “In the Heights,” Disney’s “Black Widow” and “Mulan,” Sony’s “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” and “Morbius,” Paramount’s “Top Gun: Maverick” and “A Quiet Place Part II,” and MGM’s James Bond sequel “No Time to Die.”
“Candyman” — directed by Nia DaCosta and written by Jordan Peele — is based on the grim urban legend. As the tale goes, saying his name five times to a mirror will cause him to appear and kill whoever summoned him.
The upcoming film from MGM and Bron, described by as a “spiritual sequel” to Bernard Rose’s movie of the same name, centers on a struggling artist (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) who begins to lose his sanity after discovering the story of the Candyman, which he initially uses as artistic inspiration.
