The director of this year’s Candyman is Nia DaCosta, who made her feature debut with the impressive indie drama Little Woods back in 2018. I point this out because many people are mistakenly calling the film “Jordan Peele‘s Candyman,” when they should be calling it “Nia DaCosta’s Candyman.” Peele, however, did produce and co-write the script.
Speaking with Empire Magazine, Peele explains why DaCosta was the perfect director for Candyman – and why he probably wouldn’t have been able to do the tale as much justice.
“Quite honestly, Nia is better to shoot this than I am,” Peele told the magazine. “I’m way too obsessed with the original tales in my head. I probably wouldn’t be any good. But Nia has a steady manner about her which you don’t see a lot in the horror space. She’s refined, elegant, every shot is beautiful. It’s a beautiful, beautiful movie. I’m so glad I didn’t mess it up.”
DaCosta, meanwhile, explained her approach to the new take on Candyman.
“There is definitely a sense of taking ownership, and telling a black story about black people,” DaCosta told Empire in the same article. “It was very important for all of us to have our main character be black, and for this experience to be through the black lens. Let’s make sure we change the lens now.”
The brand new Candyman film will now slash up theaters on September 25, 2020.
Check out a new shot of Teyonah Parris‘s gallery director Brianna Cartwright below.
