Candyman opened with a Thursday night box office haul that is impressive even by pre-pandemic standards. Movie theaters and the film industry at large have been struggling to cope with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, including shutdowns and limited-capacity theaters, for over a year now. Earlier summer releases like A Quiet Place Part II, F9, and Black Widow ushered audiences back into theaters and reinstilled confidence in the theater-going experience. Just when things looked like they were returning normal, the spread of the Delta variant began to raise concerns.
Even amidst these worries, Candyman is the latest pandemic film to impress at the box office. From producer Jordan Peele and up-and-coming director Nia DaCosta, Candyman is a direct sequel to the 1992 film of the same name and the fourth film in the series overall. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II stars as Anthony McCoy, a struggling artist, and Teyonah Parris stars as his girlfriend Brianna. After the two move into a gentrified Chicago neighborhood where the Candyman legend began 20 years ago, Anthony soon becomes obsessed with the legend of the boogeyman who apparently kills anyone who says his name five times in front of a mirror. Nathan Stewart-Jarrett and Colman Domingo also star, while Tony Todd, Vanessa Estelle Williams, and Virginia Madsen reprise their roles from the original 1992 film.
Candyman had its preview screenings on Thursday night, August 26, and now its box office numbers are in. Deadline reports the film brought in $1.9 million from 2,750 theaters that began showings at 7 p.m., quite an impressive feat for an R-rated horror flick. The significance of this is illustrated further when compared to 2016's Don't Breathe, another critically acclaimed, R-rated horror film that premiered around the same time in August. Candyman's Thursday night gross beat out that of Don't Breathe's, which was $1.8 million. The 2016 film went on to enjoy a $26 million opening weekend and a total $89 million domestic haul.
Based on Candyman's positive early reviews and Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, its Thursday night haul isn't entirely surprising, though certainly impressive given it beat out a comparable pre-pandemic film. After Free Guy surprised earlier this month, this is just the latest sign the domestic box office could be closer to a return to normalcy than originally expected.
Unlike Don't Breathe, Candyman is based on a preexisting IP, which always helps out a film's chances at the box office. The film may have also benefitted from Jordan Peele's involvement, who has been one of the hottest names in horror over the past few years as a director and producer. Candyman is now playing everywhere, so audiences can go and see what all the hype is about for themselves.
Source: Deadline
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