Helen Lyle will appear in the ‘Candyman’ reboot.
Helen is the main protagonist of the 1992 original film – which is based on legendary horror author Clive Barker’s short story ‘The Forbidden’ – she is a graduate student who explores the Chicago story of the Candyman for her thesis on urban legends.
According to specialist horror website Bloody Disgusting, Helen will have a key role in the new movie and will be played by Cassie Kramer, who takes over the role from Virginia Madsen who portrayed the character in the first film.
The urban legend claims that the Candyman – who, in life, was African-American artist Daniel Robitaille who was lynched for falling in love and fathering a child with a white woman in 1890 – is summoned after his name is said out loud five times in a mirror.
In the original, Helen utters those fateful words and is then terrorised by the hook-wielding supernatural killer, played by Tony Todd.
Todd is believed to be reprising his role as the character.
The 65-year-old actor has confirmed he has accepted a part in the film although he did admit he was "a little concerned" about appearing in Jordan Peele’s retelling of the genre classic.
Todd was convinced when the ‘Get Out’ director – who has co-written and is producing the project with Nia DaCosta directing – insisted the movie will include several "applause-worthy moments".
Speaking previously at the Nickel City Con convention, Todd said: "I was a little concerned because there was all this chatter. Out of the blue I got a phone call from Jordan Peele. We’re still waiting for the contract, but the way he explained it to me was that it’s gonna be applause-worthy moments. That’s his words. No matter what happens with that, it’s gonna just put renewed attention on the original."
Peele, 40, wanted to re-tell the ‘Candyman’ story for a new generation because the original movie had such a big impact on him as a young man because it centred around an African-American character in Todd – who also starred in Tom Savini’s 1990 remake of George A. Romero’s zombie classic ‘Night of the Living Dead’, another favourite of the filmmaker’s.
He said: "The original was a landmark film for black representation in the horror genre. Alongside ‘Night of the Living Dead’, ‘Candyman’ was a major inspiration for me as a filmmaker."
Universal Pictures will release ‘Candyman’ in June 2020.
Helen Lyle will appear in the Candyman reboot
