opting to hit theaters in 2021. Initially scheduled for release on June 12th, the film was previously pushed back to September 25th due to the pandemic. The film is produced with Jordan Peele’s production company Monkeypaw Productions and marks the third horror film from the production company after a string of successes with Oscar-nominated Get Out and last year’s Us.
Starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Watchmen), Teyonah Parris, and Colman Domingo, the film is a direct sequel to the 1992 film of the same name. The spiritual sequel follows an artist (Mateen) in Chicago as he investigates an urban legend that says if you repeat the Candyman’s name five times in a mirror, he will appear and murder the speaker with the hook he has for a hand. Universal and MGM are teaming up to bring this sequel to theaters, but with Candyman being repeatedly delayed, there was speculation it might skip theaters and release on demand. However, director Nia DaCosta recently explained why that isn't going to happen.
In a pair of tweets posted Saturday, director Nia DaCosta explains that Candyman is a movie made to be experienced in theaters. She insists that this is not only for the spectacle of the big screen, but because the film is “about community and stories” and “how they shape us.” DaCosta goes on to explain that they are pushing the film to next year to ensure that people can see it together, rather than alone in their homes. While that may be a good environment to watch a scary movie, DaCosta wants viewers to share in the experience of seeing the film together as a community. You can see DaCosta's tweets, below:
Candyman is just the latest in a string of delays that have affected the movie industry for the foreseeable future. These delays have prompted some studios to opt for video on-demand releases instead of waiting to put them in theaters, with Candyman’s own studio Universal doing that earlier this year with Trolls World Tour, sparking tension between studios and theater owners. Going straight to on-demand can bring bigger profit margins to a studio, as they wouldn’t have to share a cut of the ticket sales with theaters. This has sparked a larger conversation in the industry about the pros and cons of releasing certain smaller films in theaters versus bringing them directly to people's homes for a price.
While it is up in the air as to when exactly it will be safe to return to theaters, with some thinking movie theaters won't be safe for another year, there is still an argument to made for watching a movie in a theater with other people. As DaCosta notes in her tweets, it's a communal experience that can often transcend the movie itself. Just consider the screenings of Avengers: Endgame packed with excited fans or late night viewings of bad movies, both of which are much different and often better than watching it back home on the television. And not because of the theater's superior screens and sound, but because of sharing the experience with complete strangers. Horror movies especially are more fun when seen with an audience reacting to all the twists and scares it has to offer. DaCosta clearly understands that, and in pushing the film back to 2021, it's more likely Candyman will release in theaters during a time when people can safely gather together and see it as intended.
Source: Nia DaCosta/Twitter
