Nia DaCosta Trades Candy for Cash

Nia DaCosta is continuing history-making winning streaks for Black female directors. The film was originally slated to be released in June 2020 as part of the re-emergence of Black Horror but was delayed and rescheduled thanks to Covid. Now with its release, and despite initial low projections for the movie according to Forbes, "Candyman" opening weekend grossed nearly $25 million, and in the age of covid, is one of the few films to release directly to theaters first. This feat makes DaCosta the first African American female director to have a #1 opening film.

DaCosta has also previously made headlines after being named Marvel's first African American female director in the franchise being tapped to direct the next Captain Marvel film. A choice that may prove lucrative for Marvel in the future as the hiring marked the largest budget to ever be handed to a Black female director.

Money aside, reviews are also going positive for the film when it comes to critics. For its opening weekend, IMDB gives the film a rating of 8.3/10 and is certified fresh by Rotten Tomatoes. The film stars Yahya Abdul Mateen II, Teyonah Parris, Vanessa Williams, and Tony Todd and serves as more of a continuation, not shying away from the roots of the original. 

As a fan of horror, I am more than ecstatic to finally see Candyman back on screen, but surpassing its film peers such as Halloween and A Nightmare on Elm Street, both of which have suffered the curse of the reboot. The space of horror films centered on the Black experience is still rare, and it's always refreshing when the horror doesn't have to lay into traumatic images. Furthermore, DaCosta deserves high praise and I'm excited to see what she's going to do with her next big venture Captain Marvel. 

What are your thoughts on the new film? Have you seen it yet? Do you plan to see it?

Nia DaCosta Makes Marvel History

Marvel is making history once again with its cinematic universe and the Captain Marvel franchise. The first film introduced the character as the most powerful hero on the Avenger roster and was directed by Anne Boden, Marvel’s first female director, with Ryan Fleck. While the film was a box office smash it was met with mixed reviews from fans and critics alike so perhaps Marvel is looking to take the film in a new direction with a brand new director. The company has hired Nia DaCosta to direct the sequel to Captain Marvel making her the first African American female director in the franchise.

Dacosta emerged on the scene with the success of her debut film Little Woods, and if her name sounds familiar it could be because she's also directing the highly anticipated reboot of Candyman. There's no telling what direction DaCosta is taking the film in but she is sure to bring a fresh take to film and could bring the much-needed life support needed for a trilogy. A makeover wouldn't be so bad especially when considering it took the Thor franchise three tries before it finally found its footing. It’s also worth noting that Netflix recently made history for hiring its first African  American woman to direct a comic adapted film, garnering rave reviews for its film The Old Guard and showing the industry Black women can produce great action films also.

Aside from her history-making hiring, DaCosta also has received the largest budget to ever be handed to a Black female director. Not much is known about the storyline however the movie will supposedly follow after the events of Endgame and will be set on Earth at some point to connect the movie with the upcoming series WandaVision which will introduce the adult version of Monica Rambeau. In all the future is looking bright for both Marvel and DaCosta. 

The Reemergence of the Black Horror Genre

Let's face it, the horror genre has always served as an outlet to the horrors of everyday experiences for African Americans, even when the industry itself hasn't been welcoming to actors. Despite how much African American fans have supported horror movies over the years, many Black characters in these films are usually one dimensional, if not all together stereotypical versions, who are usually the first to be killed off leading Black characters to be seen as a punchline in many horror-themed films. Of course, there have been notable exceptions with movies such as Night of the Living Dead, House on Haunted Hill, and 13 Ghosts but even these instances haven't corrected the overall stereotype of Black existence in horror films. Thanks, however, to the director and writer Jordan Peele Black horror cinema is on the rise. The critical success of the film not only changed the landscape for Black character's existence in horror films but has also propelled Black leads to the forefront within the genre. Since the release of Get Out the focus on Black characters in horror features has been on the rise. 2019 saw the release Ma, starring Octavia Spencer, a remake of Child's Play featuring Brian Tyree Henry, and Peele's second directorial feature, Us, each successful at the box office. Ushering in a new era of 'Black Horror films' the success of Peele's films have pushed black actors to the forefront of horror films, and this summer may be the biggest year for horror films featuring Black leads in front and behind the lens.

Kicking off the summer is Antebellum, set for release April 24th. The film stars Janelle Monàe as a woman who finds herself somehow transported to and trapped in a horrifying reality and must find a way to escape. The trailer has already garnered buzz of excitement as it teases what looks to be a suspenseful film. The film is produced by Sean Mckittrick who credits include Get Out and Us, and is written by Gerad Bush and Christopher Renz. This will be Bush's first big-screen feature.

Spiral: From the Book of Saw, will reboot the Saw franchise and hits theaters on May 15th. The film will serve as a continuation that's likely to connect to the original 8 of the franchise, with the last being released in 2017. Starring movie veteran Samuel L. Jackson and Chris Rock, the film will follow the premise of the others with Rock and his partner, played by actor Max Minghella, being the officers tasked with finding and taking down this new killer. What makes the film stand out is that the screenplay was written based on a story by Rock himself.

And perhaps the most anticipated film of these is the continuation of the cult horror classic Candyman. Originally released in 1992, the film spawned two sequels and offered an alternative to franchises like Friday 13th and Halloween, which had become the norm for horror. While many are excited by anything that has Peele's name attached to it, but what's even more noteworthy is that this film is actually directed by Nia Dacosta, a 29-year-old Black woman who began garnering buzz with her 2019 film Little Woods. The film will arrive in theaters on June 12th.

We're still in the first half of the year so there could be more Black led horror films in store during the fall season. Either way this wave of blackness in horror is long overdue and hopefully isn't ending anytime soon.