Vanessa Estelle Williams Talks Reprising Her Role in ‘Candyman’ Reboot

The horror tale has made its comeback nearly 30 years after it originally premiered. Helmed by a talented Black woman director Nia DaCosta, the new Candyman (now available on Blu-Ray, digital, and DVD) continues to explore the deep connections between the past and the present.

Based on a short story by Clive Barker, the original 1992 film centered around the tragic story of a Black man named Daniel Robitaille (played by Tony Todd), who was brutally murdered in the 1800s by a white mob. Then, his vengeful spirit returns to the world of the living and carries out gruesome killings.

The slasher film’s sequels Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh (1995) and Candyman: Day of the Dead (1999) were loosely connected to the first movie. The 2021 reboot, however, is pulling directly from it. Writers Jordan Peele, Win Rosenfeld, and DaCosta are not just continuing the 1992 storyline, they also brought back a key character.

Hollywood Melanin had the pleasure of chatting with Vanessa Estelle Williams, who had reprised her role of Anne-Marie McCoy, a resident of Cabrini Green and the protective mother of Anthony, who, as an infant, was kidnapped and nearly killed by Tony Todd’s sinister ghost.

The 2021 Candyman transports us into the present, gentrified Cabrini Green. Here, the now-adult Anthony (played by Yahya Abdul Mateen II), who is an artist, begins to explore the macabre history of Candyman, not knowing it would bring terror and chaos into his life and the lives of those around him.

Candyman (2021) is now available on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital. Check out our full interview with Vanessa Williams above!