Horror Remake Outrage: 'Candyman' Going White?
Filed under: Horror, Sony, RumorMonger, Remakes and Sequels
Of all the freakin' horror remake outrages, this one might take the cake. Candyman, the freakishly original 'Chicago projects urban legend' flick based on a Clive Barker story, might be remade by Sony with a Caucasian in the title role, according to Shock Til You Drop. The site says that Sony and the unidentified rights holder are in "early talks," with one idea being to change Candyman's skin color from black to white.
I know this is not confirmed, and many stupid ideas are undoubtedly floated in early conversations, but this is wrong on so many levels I'm left speechless. At the most basic level, it begs the question: has anyone contemplating the remake actually watched Bernard Rose's frightening original? In the movie, Candyman (the great Tony Todd) was the son of a slave who "suffered a hideous and unjust death," as Ryan Stewart described in his Retro Cinema appreciation. An urban legend developed around him in the notorious crime-infested Cabrini-Green housing project: say his name multiple times in front of a mirror and he appears. Virginia Madsen, as a sociology grad student, investigates, calls him back to life, and wishes she had stayed in the classroom.
Two sequels, which I haven't seen, followed Candyman to New Orleans and Los Angeles, but Chicago is where he belongs. The Cabrini-Green high-rise projects have been torn down and redevelopment is taking place -- that's your story, the horror of modern redevelopment. If you want to add a political edge, tie in the outcome of the Presidential election. But please, Sony, don't make Candyman a Caucasian.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
8-15-2008 @ 6:47PM
Charity73 said...
It was only a matter of time. Will Smith has been playing roles intended for Caucasians for a while now. In this case, the change in ethnic groups will have a major effect on the storyline so they must be changing the entire story. Hollywood is trying to erase the color barrier let us let them do so. This way the best person gets the job. Let’s wait and see what they do. Maybe they will remake “Superfly”.
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8-15-2008 @ 6:52PM
Joseph J. Finn said...
The thought of Tony Todd's Candyman showing up in those nice new townhouse and condos in that neighborhood and going after unsuspecting young couples who've moved in one the old Cabrini-Green territory is a pretty damn good one.
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8-15-2008 @ 7:21PM
mezzanine said...
What the fuck?
People, boycott the Candyman remake and just watch the original again. Not only is it a great horror film, but one of the best films evar.
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8-15-2008 @ 7:23PM
John R said...
Why not?
Let's not stop with Asian properties (Dragonball, the original Kung Fu, any Japanese horror remake) lets just whitewash everything. "Malcolm X" starring Tom Hanks!
Hey you idiots! Tropic Thunder was a P A R O D Y !
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8-15-2008 @ 7:35PM
NP said...
I love the idea of exploring the horror of gentrification.
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8-15-2008 @ 10:35PM
khia213 said...
Wow. This is what you get outraged about? The original was a racist piece of slop about a dead black man obsessed with a white woman. The remake proposes to take that stereotype out of play and this bothers you? Trust me on this one. No black folks will be sorry to see this story get changed up. It was the last of the big time Mandingo sagas.
For a change, I avidly support a remake.
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8-17-2008 @ 1:55PM
Dave said...
With a white guy in the lead isn't it just Nightmare on Elm Street? They would obviously have to change his origin, how about the son of a slave owner who fell in love with a slave and was murdered by his white friends in a hideous fashion.
At the end of the day who cares, use an asian if you want, if the movie sucks it doesn't matter anyway.
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8-17-2008 @ 4:47PM
Erin P. said...
I am in a kind of FURY over this news. Please, please, please for the love of crap LET THIS BE A FUCKING RUMOR. As Tony Todd's #1 fangirl, with a rabid obsession for the original, I can't think of anything more insulting.
Is it too much to ask that the horror genre get to keep *ONE* African-American icon? The first one was brilliant. Why remake it so soon? Just do another sequel and make sure it doesn't suck -- >8| OR DON'T DO IT AT ALL. *whines*
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