Will There Be Another Candyman Sequel? Here's What We Know
"Candyman" is a downright horror icon, and one that recently got a major boost in the modern era thanks to director Nia DaCosta ("Little Woods") and writer/producer Jordan Peele ("Get Out"). Picking up in many ways where the original 1992 horror classic left off, 2021's "Candyman" served as a pretty bold reinvention of the series, anchoring it to the past while making it feel very much like a conversation about the present. It was a critical hit and did quite well financially. And, in the realm of horror, we all know what that means — a sequel!
Be that as it may, nothing has been made official on that front just yet. However, we're here to go over the prospects of a "Candyman" sequel, how that could happen, and what it might look like. Especially since there are better-than-not odds of this franchise continuing now that it has been successfully revived after lying dormant for many years.
Candyman Left the Door Open for More
2021's "Candyman" feels very much like a reboot, though it does take place within the same continuity as the original Bernard Rose-directed horror flick, which starred Tony Todd as the titular character. The latest entry largely centers on a struggling artist named Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) who winds up finding inspiration through the tales of Candyman and his long, storied history in Chicago, particularly the Cabrini-Green area.
Unfortunately for Anthony, this obsession proves to be costly, as he is ultimately transformed into a new incarnation of Candyman, with the help of William Burke (Colman Domingo). His girlfriend Brianna (Teyonah Parris) ultimately is detained by the police after they gun down Anthony, as it looked like he committed some pretty brutal crimes. The cops then try to intimidate Brianna into agreeing with their version of the night's events. As Brianna is detained, she then summons Candyman, with Anthony taking up the mantle and slaughtering the cops in brutal fashion.
The last thing we see is a final vision of none other than Daniel Robitaille, aka Tony Todd's version of the hook-handed killer, delivering a very simple message to Brianna; "Tell everyone." Roll credits. With that, the stage has been set to continue the legend with a new Candyman loose in Chicago, with Anthony completing his tragic journey. Plus, that final cameo raises a lot of questions that could use answering.
No Sequel Has Been Announced ... Yet
To make it perfectly clear up top, no, Universal Pictures has not yet announced "Candyman 2" or anything of the like. Though, depending on how they want to explain the continuity, this might technically be "Candyman 5," if we count "Farewell to the Flesh" and "Day of the Dead." Or, the studio could pull a "Halloween" 2018 and say that nothing beyond the original counts. At the moment, it's a little complicated, but you get the idea.
That having been said, the studio has reason to think this is a good idea. For one, "Candyman" was met with largely positive reviews, currently sitting at 84% on Rotten Tomatoes. Beyond that, the movie performed well, taking in $77 million worldwide against a reported $25 million budget. Not only that, but the movie didn't get an overly robots international release, taking in just $16 million overseas. This to say there may still be money on the table, and North American audiences showed up in a big way. If history tells us anything, these numbers point to a sequel. Especially with the talent involved, particularly Peele and DaCosta, who is now directing "The Marvels." Not to mention Parris and Abdul-Mateen II, as well as the potential for more from Todd in a follow-up.
Nia DaCosta Explains How a Sequel Could Happen
While Nia DaCosta has yet to specifically address the idea of a "Candyman" sequel (as of this writing), she did discuss with Gizmodo the idea behind that final scene, Todd's cameo, and what it all means. Her answer provides some clues for how this iteration of the franchise could continue.
"At least for me, it was about making sure we talked about the fact that this was cyclical and that history repeats itself, and this isn't just an incident that happened to one guy named Daniel Robitaille. It's actually an environment in which we live that allows for these things to happen over and over again."
The legend of Candyman had sort of died in Cabrini-Green before the events of this movie. The ending heavily implies that the legend is going to be back with a vengeance. That could allow a sequel to explore what DaCosta is talking about here, the idea of history repeating itself. Whether or not she (or another filmmaker) gets the chance to do so? Time will tell.