In the upcoming feature Candyman, visual artist Anthony begins to weave macabre supernatural details into his paintings, unknowingly opening a door to the past that will lead to his unravelling. 

To add authenticity to the film, the creative team brought in real visual artists to create pieces for Candyman. In this behind-the-scenes clip, director Nia DaCosta describes how art mirrors Anthony’s psychological descent as Candyman progresses.

“It seemed critical that there were actual artists in the film, and works that had social relevancy,” said producer Ian Cooper. 

Three artists appear in the above clip to discuss their work in Candyman: Arnold Kemp, Cameron Spratley, and Sherwin Ovid. Each reveals a little about their contribution to the film.

The art in the film serves a practical story purpose, reinforcing Anthony’s career. But as DaCosta said, it’s also a marker for where Anthony is mentally. And as executive producer Jordan Peele adds, the art carries symbolic weight as well.

“Much like the Candyman ghost, his ambition lies in becoming eternal,” said Peele.

Candyman tells the story of a local urban legend… A supernatural killer with a hook for a hand, summoned by repeating his name five times into a mirror. Decades after Chicago’s Cabrini-Green projects become gentrified beyond recognition, visual artist Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) and his partner, gallery director Brianna Cartwright (Teyonah Parris), move into a luxury loft condo. With Anthony’s painting career on the brink of stalling, a chance encounter with a Cabrini-Green old-timer (Colman Domingo) exposes Anthony to the horrific true story behind Candyman.

Anxious to maintain his status in the Chicago art world, and spurred on by his white art dealer, Anthony begins to explore these macabre details in his studio as fresh inspiration for paintings, unknowingly opening a door to a complex past that unravels his own sanity and unleashes a terrifying wave of violence that puts him on a collision course with destiny.

Candyman hits theaters August 27.

Meanwhile, check back to THS for more horror updates.

Source: NBC Universal