A new documentary is set to explore the history of the Candyman franchise, giving an in-depth history of the original trilogy that ran from 1992 to 1999.
Titled The Complete History of Candyman, the film will chart the origins of the cult 1992 horror film – which is loosely based on Clive Barker’s 1985 short story “The Forbidden” – with nods to its future in Jordan Peele’s long-awaited “spiritual sequel”.
According to a press release, the documentary will place Candyman within the context of the horror landscape that it emerged from, drawing links to former classics of the slasher sub-genre. It will also examine how Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing – a film “inextricably linked” to Candyman – “became the model for how the studio system packaged contemporary racial issues in a manner that startlingly respects the ability of viewers to think for themselves”.
Written and directed by Bryn Hammond, The Complete History of Candyman will also incorporate new and archival interviews, “from the voices who survived the genre’s past trends to those shaping its future”.
Directed by Nia DaCosta, the upcoming Candyman reboot was first announced back in 2018, following Peele’s Oscar win for his directorial debut, Get Out. Originally set to arrive in 2020, the reboot was pushed back to 2021 due to multiple coronavirus-related delays, and is now slated to premiere on August 26.
Watch a trailer for The Complete History of Candyman, which will arrive in spring 2021, below.