For longtime fans of the Candyman movies, seeing anyone but Tony Todd in the title role is going to take some getting used to, but it may help that the man they’ve brought in to fill his shoes already has some major villain credentials.
Variety reports that actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is in talks play the lead killer in MGM’s upcoming “spiritual sequel” to 1992’s Candyman. As well as assuming the role of Cadillac in Netflix series The Get Down, Abdul-Mateen played David Kane, aka Black Manta, in DC’s recent box office smash Aquaman. And speaking of comic book adaptations, the star also has an undisclosed role in HBO’s new Watchmen series.
Abdul-Mateen can already boast some experience working with Candyman producer Jordan Peele, too, having collaborated with the Get Out helmsman on his highly anticipated sophomore feature Us. As it stands, the actor is the only cast member officially announced for the next Candyman, but while it’s evident that Todd won’t be reprising his role, the star of Bernard Rose’s 1992 original told Bloody Disgusting last month that he’d be happy to play any part in the movie, suggesting that a cameo may still be on the cards.
Either way, the new Candyman will inevitably be met with some skepticism from the fans, though the involvement of Peele in the project may also inspire more confidence than your average horror reboot, with Todd himself admitting recently that the property is in good hands. We’ll see if Peele and director Nia DaCosta can honor the legacy of Todd’s run in the series when Candyman hits theaters on June 12th, 2020, but in the meantime, you can catch Abdul-Mateen in Peele’s Us when it arrives in cinemas on March 22nd, 2019.