‘Candyman’ Marks First-Ever No. 1 Film For a Black Female Director

Although remakes and reboots have gotten a fair share of flack from those who simply want to see more originality in Hollywood, there have been a few exceptions to the rule that make for a worthy blast from the past.

It’s looking like the new Candyman film might actually fall in that category after it not only topped the box office this week but also made Nia DaCosta the first Black female director to earn that Hollywood honor.

LIKE US ON FACEBOOK. FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM & TWITTER. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE.

According to IndieWire, Candyman scared up an estimated $22,370,00 during its initial domestic weekend, pushing way past the $15 million it was projected to take in. DaCosta’s big win for Black women in Hollywood follows only a handful that’ve come close to having a #1 week at the box office, including Selma and A Wrinkle in Time by Ava DuVernay as well as the 2000 classic Love and Basketball by Gina Prince-Blythewood. All three of those aforementioned films landed in second place.

Here’s some more background on the magic that went into this movie, via IndieWire:

“Universal believed [‘Candyman’] would attract Black viewers with the pedigree of ‘Get Out’ and ‘Us,’ and it did. However, the appeal was more diverse: Per the studio’s audience survey, 37 percent of the audience was Black, white was 30 percent, Latinos 22 percent, and Asians 5 percent. That spread was key to reaching the higher number.

Also restraining initial estimates was the film was it didn’t play it safe. Reviews were among the best for wide studio releases this year, which doesn’t necessarily mean much in reaching a wide audience for a horror film, but they did emphasize the film’s original elements as well as Peele’s influence while emphasizing DaCosta’s individual contribution. An element of danger, a sense of the unknown, strong IP and execution: That’s a good lesson for producers who fear taking risks.”

STAY INFORMED! CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER!

Candyman came out on top during a rather competitive week, besting out new releases like Free Guy, PAW Patrol, Jungle Cruise, Don’t Breathe 2, the Aretha Franklin biopic RESPECT, The Suicide Squad reboot, The Protege, The Night House and Old, respectively.

Congrats, Nia DaCosta! Are you planning on seeing Candyman this week? Peep the trailer below to see if you can handle the hair-raising horror:

READ MORE STORIES ON BLACKAMERICAWEB.COM:

• Racist Father/Son Duo Get Four Years In Prison For Hate Crimes Against Black Teens
• Racial Profiling? Chicago Agency Probes Officer’s Encounter With Black Woman
• Hurricane Ida Traps Louisianans, Leaves The Grid A Shambles

HEAD TO THE BLACKAMERICAWEB.COM HOMEPAGE

[ione_media_gallery id=”1153675″ overlay=”true”]