Jordan Peele explains why he didn't direct 'Candyman' remake

Filmmaker Jordan Peele says he handed over the reins of "Candyman" remake to director Nia DaCosta as he would have messed it up. Peele, who won an Oscar for his directorial "Get Out", has co-written and co-produced the new project which will be a "retelling" of the 1992 horror film.

The original film featured Tony Todd as the hook-wielding supernatural killer who, according to a legend, appears after his name is called five times. It was directed by Bernard Rose from a Clive Barker's script. The remake, featuring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in the lead, has been directed by DaCosta, who is best known for 2018 thriller "Little Woods".

In an interview with Empire magazine, Peele explained why he decided against directing the film.

"I was working on 'Us' when this would have happened. But quite honestly, Nia is better to shoot this than I am. I'm way too obsessed with the original tales in my head. I probably wouldn't be any good. 

"But Nia has a steady manner about her which you don't see a lot in the horror space. She's refined, elegant, every shot is beautiful. It's a beautiful, beautiful movie. I'm so glad I didn't mess it up," the filmmaker said.

The new film has been described as a "spiritual sequel" to the original with the  story returning to the same neighbourhood where the legend of Candyman began, a section of Chicago where the Cabrini-Green housing projects once stood. DaCosta said she felt a "sense of ownership" in telling "a Black story about Black people".

"It was very important for all of us to have our main character be Black, and for this experience to be through the Black lens. Let's make sure we change the lens now," she added.

Produced by Peele's Monkeypaw Productions in collaboration with MGM and Bron Creative, "Candyman" is scheduled to be released on September 25 in the US.