After many delays, Candyman is still due to be released on August 27, 2021. The franchise reboot has been in somewhat of a production hell since it was first announced that Jordan Peele would be producing the movie back in September 2018. The release date has already been delayed three times from an original June 2020 date due to the COVID-19 pandemic. News surrounding the movie seemed to have gone quie, sparking fears of yet another delay. But said fears may have been put to rest as USA Today released a brand new image from the movie, confirming the late summer premiere date.

The still gives a glimpse of Watchmen star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Anthony McCoy, a visual artist and former resident of the the Candyman's old stomping ground, the Cabrini Green Housing Projects. Despite there not being a lot of context to the image, the intensity in Abdul-Mateen II's eyes combined with the chaos of his artwork, visible in the background, hints at an artist in turmoil.

Candyman remake image Yahya Abdul-Mateen II}

Audiences were first introduced to Anthony as an infant in the original 1992 Candyman. Since then two more entries in the franchise have been released. Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh (1995) and Candyman: Day of the Dead (1999). DaCosta's interpretation of the movie, however, which he co-wrote with Peele and his frequent collaborator Win Rosenfield, is described as being a 'spiritual sequel' to the 1992 original.

The original is considered by many to be a cult classic and a staple of the supernatural and slasher genres. It was based on Clive Barker's short story "The Forbidden" and details the experiences of a student studying urban legends and ancient folklore. While working on her thesis she is encountered by the malevolent legend of the 'Candyman', played my Tony Todd, the ghost of a man murdered by a lynch mob in the late 19th century for his relationship with the daughter of a wealthy white land owner. It would seem that the 'Candyman' can be only summoned by saying his name five times in front of a mirror but when this happens bloodshed always follows.

Universal Pictures have released a synopsis for its upcoming release which takes place in the present day, a decade after the last of the Cabrini towers were torn down, "A visual artist named Anthony McCoy and his girlfriend, an art gallery director named Brianna Cartwright, moved into a luxurious loft condo in Cabrini, now gentrified beyond recognition and inhabited by the upwardly mobile millennials."

With Anthony's painting career on the brink of stalling, a chance encounter with a Cabrini Green old-timer exposes Anthony to the tragically horrific nature of the true story behind the Candyman. Anxious to maintain his status in the Chicago art world, Anthony begins to explore these macabre details in his studio as fresh grist for paintings, unknowingly opening a door to a complex past that unravels his own sanity and unleashes a terrifyingly viral wave of violence that puts him on a collision course with destiny.

Alongside Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, the movie will also be starring Teyonah Parris, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett and Colman Domingo, and will see Tony Todd and Vanessa Estelle Williams reprising their roles from the original movie. All things going well, the movie should be released in cinemas on August 27 and it is likely that a trailer should be dropping sometime soon which will give fans more of an idea of what to expect or perhaps, in the meantime, try saying his name five times...