'Candyman' Features a Steady Stream of Violent Scenes ⁠— but Will It Be R-Rated?

Candyman (2020) takes us to the fast-changing neighborhood of Cabrini-Green, charting how the new tenants of the slick, modern condos fall victim one by one to an acrimonious spirit. Candyman is back, and he is ready to take vengeance for the atrocity he had to endure during his youth. Jordan Peele's next project promises two hours' worth of crippling suspense, capturing how the mysterious murderer wipes out the neighborhood. So, what should viewers expect? Will the movie get an R rating?

Inspired by a short story by Clive Barker, The Forbidden, the original Candyman chronicles how a man returns from the dead to chastise the residents of the Chicago neighborhood for separating him from the woman he loved. The new movie, on the other hand, will revolve around a struggling artist's attempts to reinvigorate his stalling career by devoting himself to learning more about the borderline-supernatural entity. 

The 1992 horror movie revolved around an ambitious young researcher's relentless attempts to resuscitate the furious entity with the sole purpose of studying his motifs and back story. The 2020 movie swaps Helen Lyle (Virginia Madsen) for an artist on the verge of a creative crisis, named Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II).

According to an early prognosis, this might not be the most sweeping change introduced by the creators. As Den of Geek and Entertainment Weekly prompt, there's a chance that the narrative will revolve around how the protagonist's soul gets infected by the malicious spirit. According to another theory, Tony Todd might retain his role as the Candyman. 

“I know [Peele] is a fan [...] We’re waiting just like the rest of the world. I’m hoping I will appear in the film in some form of fashion. Wouldn’t that make sense? But it’s Hollywood, so I won’t take it personally if for some reason it doesn’t work out," Tony told in a previous interview with Entertainment Weekly. 

Asked about the potential plot and casting changes, the creators maintained a secretive approach. 

"Well, well, well [...] I really love Tony Todd and he’s iconic. I will say what we’ve done with this film — is great! And I don’t want to give anything away," Jordan told Entertainment Weekly. 

"My connection with Candyman is pretty simple [...] It was one of the few movies that explored any aspect of the black experience in the horror genre in the 90s, when I was growing up. It was an iconic example to me of representation in the genre and a movie that inspired me," Jordan added. 

Candyman 2020 is currently in post-production. The official body awarding film ratings, FilmRatings, has yet to classify the movie. However, judging by its predecessors — the 1992 Candyman, the 1995 Farewell To The Flesh, and the 1999 Day Of The Dead all received an R rating — it's perhaps safe to assume that the new movie is likely to receive an R rating as well.

The claustrophobic scenes depicting how the age-old spirit returns to the world of the living, only to torture everyone willing to participate in a ritual and repeat his name five times while looking at a mirror, would certainly indicate so. 

Candyman (2020) captures the evil undertakings of a mythical entity, with plenty of scenes depicting violence. What rating will the movie get?