Chucky, Leatherface and Pinhead made somewhat triumphant returns in the last two years, but they’re second tier horror icons and the public talks about them on a daily basis. With a hierarchy of noteworthy villains, the goriest genre of them all has a ton of killers that have laid dormant for decades – Critters, Pumpkinhead, and Candyman. If you’ve been living under a rock, let me educate you about the Candyman trilogy, since this article will mostly focus on the Tony Todd fronted, urban legend based series. Based on the short story ‘The Forbidden’ by Clive Barker, Candyman was adapted to screen by writer/director Bernard Rose in 1992. The film, which saw a graduate student penning her thesis on the Candyman myth, only to discover the truth behind its origin, was released to theaters by TriStar and PolyGram Entertainment on October 16. It debuted at the #3 spot in theaters, spent 5 weeks in the top 10, and made a total gross of $26,000,000 (not adjusted for inflation). With Hollywood being an ever flying vulture, a sequel was put into production in 1995 based on the screenplay by Rand Ravich and Mark Kruger. That movie would later become Candyman 2: Farewell to the Flesh.
Directed by Bill Condon, Candyman 2: Farewell to the Flesh saw Tony Todd return as Candyman and it dove deep into his backstory, explaining why he was murdered, how he got his nickname and how he got his powers. Released to theaters on March 17 by Gramercy Pictures, the sequel debuted at the #2 spot in cinemas, but failed to match the success of its predecessor; narrowly grossing passed the $14,000,000 mark. With revenue still streaming in but not enough to warrant another big release, a third and final picture was greenlit in 1999. Written and directed by Turi Meyer with co-writer Al Septien, Candyman 3: Day of the Dead was sent straight-to-DVD and saw a final confrontation with the hook-handed slasher. With a suitable ending in sight, whoever owned the rights to the series put it to rest, and the Candyman saga – along with the Night of the Living Dead remake – launched Tony Todd to become one of the most recognizable faces in horror history. He, of course, went on to co-star in the Final Destination and Hatchet series, and recurred on television in hit shows like “24,” “Dead Summer,” and “The Young and the Restless.” With his love of the genre still firmly in tact, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Todd could jump through a mirror again.
But, would anyone really want him to? That’s the big question, and unlike other franchises, I think the answer would be a resounding yes. While a proposed fourth movie may be too much, the saga isn’t completely beaten to death just yet. 2018, 2019 and beyond is the perfect time to resurrect this idea. We’re living in an era of distrust, when the racism and hatred that we thought was gone has returned to the surface in the most disgusting way. Candyman’s origins were founded in slavery, and that theme can be reworked to fit the climate of The United States today. Who wouldn’t love to see Tony Todd slicing his way through corrupt politicians or a bunch of drunken skinheads who summoned him at a party. Further adapting the old plot to a modern one, our cellphones and computers basically double as mirrors. The title holding slasher wouldn’t need to be stationary anymore, and he could attack his possible victims anywhere, at any time. Hell, his unofficial mascot – honey bees – are rocketing towards extinction, and that could be worked into the story somehow. All I’m saying is, there’s still a story or two left to tell in this series.
Would you want to see another Candyman movie? With the right story, a proper budget, and Tony Todd – Hell yes. Sound off in the comments and let me know your thoughts.
