Thought You Left The Nightmare Of Candyman Behind? Not On Jordan Peele’s Watch

When many of us were first introduced to Oscar winner Jordan Peele, it was through the Comedy Central sketch show Key & Peele, which also starred his best friend Keegan-Michael Key. For five years, the duo made us laugh until we cried with hilarious sketches. Years later, we’re still crying over Peele’s work, but for a different reason — he’s bringing our nightmares to life.

Since leaving the world of sketch comedy following the series finale of Key & Peele in 2015, Peele has hopped over to the genre’s polar opposite: horror. And his latest project, a modern remake of the 1992 horror blockbuster Candyman, is hands down his scariest endeavor yet.

Remember Candyman? It’s possible that you don’t, likely because you wiped any and all memory of it from your mind. The truly terrifying horror flick takes place in the Cabrini-Green housing projects of Chicago, where residents shudder at the mention of the mythical murderer who appears when anyone says his name in the mirror five times. Tony Todd played the titular character, haunting the Cabrini-Green because of its connection to his past life.

Almost thirty years after the original story, Peele is dedicated to terrifying us once again with the Candyman. In the sequel, baby Anthony McCoy is all grown up (played by Watchmen's Yahya Abdul Mateen II, unfortunately fully clothed this time around) and living in gentrified Cabrini-Green. We don't yet know who or what brings the Candyman forth — maybe he's really against gentrification — but whatever it the reason, he's back in full force and scaring the absolute hell out of everyone.

Peele and his team gave the world its first glimpse at the film on Twitter, promising an exclusive teaser for anyone foolish brave enough to tweet the word "Candyman" five times. My mother raised me with sense, so I didn't do dare do it (look, I love my life), but some digging unveiled the short clip:

Todd will be reprising his terrifying role, but Candyman will have a brand new cast, complete with familiar faces. Teyonah Parris (The Photograph, Dear White People), Colman Domingo (If Beale Street Could Talk), and Nathan Stewart-Jarrett round out the talented ensemble cast. We also catch a glimpse of Candyman's tell-tale hook.

The remake was directed by Nia DaCosta, and Peele joined forces with Win Rosenfeld to write and produce the film. Candyman was already frightening, but with Peele penning the script, it's almost guaranteed to be a real life nightmare. His reputation as a horror aficionado precedes him; many of us are still recovering from movies like Get Out and Us.

Candyman's trailer will be officially released this Thursday. In the meantime, say your prayers — and cover all of your mirrors if you can.