Jordan Peele is back with another of his horror projects, but this time he has restrained himself to the writer’s seat while taking on lead production duties. A sequel to 1992 supernatural horror of the same name, Candyman’s first trailer has been released, and it scares us to hell. After two back-to-back horror hits, it seems like Jordan Peele is planning to give us a new take on the genre, and is trying to revive the golden era of slasher/horror stories.

Candyman follows a grown-up Anthony McCoy (played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), who has presumably returned to his hometown to gain some inspiration for his stalling art designs by studying the local Candyman folklore. During his quest for new artwork, he is exposed to a horrific figure from his past; a man with a hook for his right hand, the Candyman. As he digs deeper into the true story of Candyman, he unknowingly unleashes his perils on himself and his loved ones.

The sequel is although directed by young director Nia DaCosta (Little Woods); however, the trailer seemed to have a blend of elements inspired by Peele’s previous works. The trailer begins with a bunch of girls trying to summon Candyman while creepy horror music plays in the background; something we previously watched in Us (2019).

We then shift to the Cabrini-Green housing project, the cynosure of the first film, wholly renovated with nothing recognizable from the past. However, a shot from the trailer shows Anthony stung by a bee, depicting how Peele’s writing would comprise numerous signs and symbols to analyze easter-eggs and his conceptual themes throughout the film. Tony Todd reprises his role as the titular character; however, Peele and DaCosta have decided to keep his first appearance off the first trailer.

The story may unfold around the renovation of the Cabrini-Green project to bridge the gap of almost three decades between two films. Peele has previously explored racial discrimination and duality of human nature in his first two ventures. Now, through DaCosta’s directorial vision, he somehow plans to continue the previous film’s theme, which explored the conditions of inner suburban areas and the socio-economically weaker sections living in those places. 

This is what admirable about Peele’s vision, which has previously earned him an Academy Award for Best Screenplay. While there will be new elements of direction as Peele sits this one out, there will be a blend of two different artistic approaches to watch here.

Candyman releases June 12, 2020. It stars Tony Todd, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Teyonah Parris, and Vanessa A. Williams. Directed by Nia DaCosta, the film is written by Ian Cooper, Win Rosenfield, and Jordan Peele.