Jordan Peele has continued to gather a powerful cast around his upcoming reboot ofCandymanas shooting begins in Chicago. Nathan Stewart-Jarrett (Misfits) and Colman Domingo (Fear the Walking Dead) have now joined the horror film from writers Peele and Win Rosenfeld under Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions.
Stewart-Jarrett is best known for his roles in the British TV seriesMisfitsandUtopia, but can be seen in the Hulu remake ofFour Weddings and a Funeral. The young actor also starred in the Tony Award-Winning Broadway revival of Angels in America. Like his co-star, Domingo has a history with the theatre. He’s been nominated for both a Tony and Lawrence Olivier award. On the small screen, Domingo is known for his role as Victor Strand onFear the Walking Dead, but he can also be seen in HBO’s popular dramaEuphoria, A24’sLucy in the Skyfrom Noah Hawley, andThe God Committee.
The newCandymancast members are joining two quickly rising stars. Already attached to the project areYahya Abdul-Mateen IIand Teyonah Parris. Abdul-Mateen II stepped away from the small screen momentarily afterThe Get Downwas ended too soon and flew onto the silver screen in a series of popular films. He was featured inBaywatchandThe Greatest Showman. He also portrayed the antagonist Manta inAquamanand Russel/Weyland inUs, Peele’s follow-up toGet Out. He can next be seen in HBO’s upcomingWatchmen.
Teyonah Parrishas some major projects behind her and even more in the pipeline. She starred in Justin Simien’s 2014 filmDear White Peopleas Coco Connors, as well as Spike Lee’sChi-ragand Barry Jenkins’If Beale Street Could Talkalongside Domingo. She’ll following Mateen’s lead by stepping into the superhero world next as Monica Rambeau in the Disney Plus seriesWandaVision
Nia DaCosta (Little Woods) is directing the film which is described as a"spiritual sequel" to Bernard Rose’s 1992 horror movie. Based on Clive Barker’s short story “The Forbidden,“Candymancenters on an urban legend of a former slave that was murdered because of his relationship with a white woman. When her family learned of the forbidden love, he was smeared with honey so bees would attack him and then burned to death. His ashes were scattered at what would become the Cabrini-Green housing projects. The legend stated if you said his name five times in the mirror, he would come to murder you. You know, like urban legends do.
The set is bound to be an eerie one because among the various Chicago shooting locations is the neighborhood where the legend first began: The Cabrini-Green housing projects. Although the projects have since been gentrified, the intention counts. Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures (MGM) is co-financing the film with BRON creative, and that is good news for the city of Chicago.Candymanwill be shot entirely in the windy city, likely bringing jobs and money with it. Not to mention the aesthetic realism that can come from shooting on location.
Expectations are high for the classic film’s reboot because Monkeypaw Productions has churned out some successful movies since it opened in 2012. Under the banner, Peele wrote, produced and directed bothGet OutandUs. The company also produced Spike Lee’sBlackkKlansman. This news was first reported byDeadline.
