Candyman 2 could happen following a potentially successful release of Nia DaCosta's 1992 Candyman film starring Tony Todd. Candyman was originally a short story from Clive Barker entitled "The Forbidden," from the fifth volume of his popular Books of Blood series published in the mid-1980s. The original movie, directed by Bernard Rose, shifted the location from Barker's Liverpool to the Cabrini-Green housing project in Chicago.
DaCosta's 2021 version has remained in Chicago and tells the story of visual artist Anthony McCoy, who moves into the newly-gentrified Cabrini area with his art gallery director girlfriend Brianna Cartwright. Set 10 years after the original Cabrini towers were torn down, the movie follows Anthony as his art career is spiraling downward. During his journey around the neighborhood, Anthony comes across the true story of the Candyman - a supernatural killer who appears after saying his name five times into a mirror. Anthony's sanity is tested and his art becomes more influenced by the Candyman, as the two charge forward to an inevitable confrontation.
With Candyman receiving a certified fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and optimistic box office projections for the R-rated horror film, the pieces are in place for a financially successful run and the chance at rejuvenating the long-dormant Candyman franchise.
Will Candyman 2 Happen?
Candyman 2 hasn't been officially announced, although several factors are working in the new movie's favor. With Halloween. Candyman is one of the most iconic characters in horror history and studios are always looking for ways to turn familiar names into modern franchises.
Candyman 2 Release Date
Candyman battled one of the worst scheduling conflicts with COVID-19, originally set to open on June 12, 2020 before being pushed back to September 25, 2020. The film was again moved - this time to October 16, 2020 - before finally finding a permanent home on August 27, 2021. Candyman 2 likely wouldn't face a similar juggling, but the rolling dates proved that Universal wasn't interested in releasing Candyman as a special on-demand title. Candyman 2 would be another theater-going experience, presumably releasing some time in 2023 if it's greenlit.
Candyman 2 Cast
One of the stars of Candyman, Teyonah Parris, will almost certainly be a big part of Candyman 2, should it happen, given the way the 2021 movie ends with her being instructed to "tell everyone." Not following up on that would be a disservice to her story. But beyond her, Candyman 2 would also look to bring back Todd and Michael Hargrove, who each have roles as the Candyman himself.
Candyman 2 Story Details
With the new Candyman taking a detour from the plot of the 1992 movie and original short story, there isn't a specific story for Candyman 2 to tell. Based on how the 2021 film ends, Tony Todd is now back as Candyman and he wants Brianna to "tell everyone," thus suggesting there's room for both characters to return in either a direct sequel that follows Brianna or a standalone story that connects this sequel with another person's confrontation with Candyman. However, one thing Candyman 2 shouldn't do is follow the original movie's path. In 1995, Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh abandoned most of what made the first movie such an iconic story. Both director Rose and star Virginia Madsen chose not to return for Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh after Rose's initial sequel idea was shot down by the studio. This time around, Candyman 2 should have more cohesiveness between the films, something the original franchise was sorely lacking.
