Candyman‘s Nia DaCosta Opens Up About the Idea Behind Tony Todd’s Cameo

With her newCandyman , directorNia DaCostabothbuilds on and continuesthe legend first established in theoriginal 1992 revulsion filmstarring Tony Todd as the titulary vengeful flavour . Ahead of the fresh movie ’s release , it was unclear how it might link to the original and whetherTodd himself might returngiven the histrion ’s previous refusal to be imply with previously proposed sequel like Candyman vs. Leprechaun . Now that the film is out in the world , the director has a few thing to say about her reason for bring the actor back .

The newfangled Candyman puts a significant amount of effort into setting itself apart from Farewell to the Flesh and Day of the Dead , the two sequels that followed the first film and both failed to impress audiences . DeCosta lay out a narrative about afresh batch of characterswho find themselves being terrorized in Chicago ’s Cabrini - Green neighborhood and as you root in , it ’s not immediately obvious how Todd ’s Candyman — the specter of a Black homo call Daniel Robitaille who was murdered for having a relationship with a white woman — is intend to show up given how much of the raw story is centre on Anthony McCoy ( Yahya Abdul - Mateen II ) .

By the movie ’s last minute , though , Anthony and the original Candyman ’s connections solidify and you could see how the movie ’s actually a storey about how the Candyman is part of a enceinte , horrific cycle of violence that only beget more ferocity , and the story illustrate it by bear Robitaille in reality show up on - concealment . Interesting as his visual aspect is , it happens in a sort of wily way that does n’t on the nose answer some of the questions offer during the flick . During a recent appearance onEmpire ’s Spoiler Special Podcast , however , DaCosta opened up a bit about some of the thinking that went into Todd ’s cameo , and explained why she did n’t just direct with him and Virginia Madsen ’s fibre from the ‘ 90s movie , being a major part of the account . “ What ’s so interesting is everyone ’s like , ‘ You have to bring him back , and contribute Helen back , ’ ” DaCosta said . “ And it ’s like , well , they both are n’t allowed to age , because they ’re both ghostwriter . So that ’s immediately the trickiest thing about it . ”

Screenshot: Universal

In the new movie , Anthony ’s fixation with the Candyman myth put him on a genial downward spiral that ’s only aggravate when people around him initiate turning up dead , ostensibly after attempting to muster up the ghost by speaking his name five time into mirrors . By the picture ’s remnant , you learn that Robitaille is but one of many Candymen who cope with violent , anti-Semite finish , only to return as malevolent spirits hungry for retribution . The flick closes with Anthony , having become the newest Candyman , seem to slaughter a mathematical group of white law policeman who attempted to coerce his lady friend Brianna ( Teyonah Parris ) into concur that Anthony provoked them to shoot him to death . For a brief instant , the spectral Anthony metamorphose into Robitaille , and DaCosta explained that her goal was to ground the brutal , cyclic violence underpinning their connecter .

“ At least for me , it was about make certain we babble about the fact that this was cyclic and that history repeats itself , and this is n’t just an incident that happened to one cat named Daniel Robitaille , ” DaCosta said . “ It ’s actually an environment in which we live that take into account for these things to happen over and over again . ”

Candyman is now in theaters .

Screenshot: Universal