Tony Todd believes ‘Candyman’ fans will love the new film and be "proud" of what the director and cast have accomplished.
The 65-year-old actor is set to reprise his role as the hook-wielding supernatural killer in the upcoming movie, which is described as a "spiritual sequel" to the 1992 slasher film, and believes it will impress fans of the original series of films.
Speaking to JoBlo, he said: "They’re finishing up touches and I’m probably going to get a copy in a timely fashion.
"I’m fully aboard the team. It’s a great team. Nia DaCosta … not only a female director, but an African American director. You have Jordan Peele, who is arguably one of the hottest producers around right now.
"I think people are gonna be proud to see the character and the story continue. The entire film is shot in Chicago. That new look Chicago."
Tony is very pleased to see the ‘Candyman’ franchise revived and is looking forward to introducing the story to a new audience.
He explained: "I think we’re going to be surprised about how many things have changed in 30 years, and how many things have stayed the same.
"It’s a 30-year gap. So we have a new way of looking at it for an entirely new generation, who unfortunately may not have seen the source material. I’m lucky because, due to the convention world, I have been able to keep this character alive and kicking for the 30-year gap.
"I’m honoured that someone thought the source material was important enough to renew the tale. And I know for a fact that it is gonna be one of the most accepted and received horror films in a while."
The new ‘Candyman’ is set in the American neighbourhood where events began; a now-gentrified section of Chicago where the Cabrini-Green housing projects once stood.
The original movie – which is inspired by legendary horror author Clive Barker’s short story ‘The Forbidden’ – follows graduate student Helen Lyle (Virginia Madsen) who explores the story of the Candyman for her thesis on urban legends.
The legend states 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.
The first film was a huge success and spawned two follow-ups: ‘Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh’ and ‘Candyman: Day of the Dead’.
‘Get Out’ filmmaker Peele, 41, has admitted the original movie had a huge impact on him when he was younger because it was 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 Peele’s.
Revealing his reason for resurrecting the franchise, 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."