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Nia DaCosta, the director behind the recently released horror filmCandyman, made history over the weekend.
On Monday, Universal Pictures announced DaCosta, 31, had become the first Black female director to see her film debut in the top spot at the domestic box office.Candyman— dubbed as a “spiritual sequel” of the 1992 movie of the same name — netted over $22 million in its premiere domestic weekend, perBox Office Mojo.
The filmmaker, who also co-wroteCandymanwithJordan Peeleand Win Rosenfeld, is currently working on the follow-up to 2019’sCaptain Marvel, titledThe Marvels, which she will direct for Marvel Studios with a release date of Nov. 11, 2022.
Parrish Lewis/Universal Pictures and MGM Pictures
The original ’90s film, from writer/director Bernard Rose and based on Clive Barker’s 1986 short story “The Forbidden,” introduced the world to the horror of Candyman.
Being the firstCandymanfilm with all Black leads and a story that spotlights the very real horrors of racism, DaCosta was the perfect choice to co-write and direct the new chapter. Under her direction, the new film explores the myth of Candyman — a Black man who was tortured and killed for falling in love with a white woman — in a new light.
“I think that’s what’s really beautiful about our re-imagining of this story,” starTeyonah Parrisrecentlytold PEOPLE. “… There’s empathy. I think you leave ourCandymanfeeling more empathy and humanizing the character and asking questions.”
Speaking withThe New York Timesfor an interview published on Monday, DaCosta chatted about the pressure surrounding the highly-anticipated project. “The pressure can be so distracting and overwhelming, and it can stop you from doing well and consume the process,” she explained. “And, probably to a fault, I can be a bit self-deprecating.”
But DaCosta also told the outlet that working alongside Peele, 42, was an experience like no other. “I was really excited because Jordan Peele was co-writer and a producer — no-brainer. So, I felt really safe in the process because I’m a huge fan of his,” she said.
Candymanis now playing in theaters.
source: people.com
