Teyonah Parris is in talks to star alongside Yahya Abdul-Mateen (should he join too) in the reimagining of ‘Candyman.’ The film is a spiritual sequel, and will return to the neighborhood where the legend began: the now-gentrified section of Chicago where the Cabrini-Green housing projects once stood.
Parris got a breakout role in AMC’s ‘Mad Men,’ then went on to star in ‘Dear White People,’ ‘Chi-Raq,’ and FOX’s ‘Empire.’ Last year, she was in the Academy Award winner ‘If Beale Street Could Talk.’ She will next be in Netflix’s ‘Point Blank,’ starring Frank Grillo and Anthony Mackie, which releases sometime this year.
If both deals close, Abdul-Mateen will play an artist who becomes obsessed with the bloody legend, while Parris would play his girlfriend, an art dealer.
Moreover, Super Bro Movies gave a report in January gave a report on a different actor in talks for the same role: Lakeith Stanfield. However, it’s evident he is not be the frontrunner anymore.
The full description of the lead role, from Super Bro Movies:
“Anthony, a socially pronounced artist in Chicago begins to research the urban legend of Candyman. After investigating the killer’s last known whereabouts, strange killings begin to occur around Anthony. The protagonist will serve a role similar to that of Virginia Madsen’s character Helen Lyle, from the original 1992 movie.”
This seems to contradict some earlier reports Abdul-Mateen would be playing the titular character: Candyman. Perhaps it just got lost in translation.
Further, Nia DaCosta (‘Little Woods’) will be directing. The screenplay is from Jordan Peele (‘Get Out,’ ‘Us’) and his MonkeyPaw producer Win Rosenfeld.
Additionally, filming will begin late this spring or early this summer.
Universal will release the film domestically on June 12, 2020.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter