Nia DaCosta makes history with her first feature film debut, a remake of the 1992 supernatural horror classic ‘Candyman,’ grossing $22.3 million in its first three days of release. This major feat makes DaCosta the first African American female director to debut at No. 1. Congratulations to Nia Dacosta for this historic win!
DaCosta’s sequel to the cult classic follows the story of an artist named Anthony McCoy played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II who becomes obsessed with the supernatural killer. Yahya spoke to Variety on what it was like working alongside DaCosta to bring the horror film back to life.
According to Deadline, Candyman marks the second-highest grossing 3-day domestic weekend B.O. opening for a Black female director; that record owned by Ava DuVernay and her Disney movie A Wrinkle In Time which debuted in the No. 2 spot over the weekend of March 9-11, 2018 to $33.1M behind the fourth weekend of Black Panther which slotted No. 1 with $40.8M. DuVernay was the first Black female director to helm a $100M+ production from a major Hollywood studio. DaCosta also co-wrote Candyman with Jordan Peele and Win Rosenfeld.
Candyman director, Nia DaCosta, can be credited for campaigning for the film to hit theaters before any alternative releases. She was noted saying via her Twitter account, “We made Candyman to be seen in theaters…Not just for the spectacle but because the film is about community and stories — how they shape each other, how they shape us. It’s about the collective experience of trauma and joy, suffering and triumph, and the stories we tell around it.”
Candyman was written by Jordan Peele, Win Rosenfeld, and DaCosta.
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