Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is in talks to star in 'Candyman'.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II
The 32-year-old actor found fame playing various villains - such as Black Manta in 'Aquaman', and Cadillac in Netflix's 'The Get Down' - and it seems as though he will continue his evil streak, as he's currently in negotiations to take on the role of the titular urban legend in the upcoming retelling of the classic horror tale.
According to Variety, no deal has been finalised, but if Yahya does take on the role, he'll be the first name attached to the flick, which is being produced by Jordan Peele and directed by Nia DaCosta.
MGM and Win Rosenfeld are producing alongside Jordan Peele's Monkeypaw Productions, and the studio has been touting the movie as a "spiritual sequel" to the original 1992 film.
The 1992 'Candyman' follows a graduate student who explores the legend of Candyman - who was played by Tony Todd in the original movie - while writing a thesis on urban legends.
The urban legend says Candyman - also known as Daniel Robitaille - will be summoned to kill when his name is said give times by a person facing a mirror.
Variety says the reboot will return the urban legend to where it began, in the now-gentrified section of Chicago where the Cabrini-Green housing projects once stood, and is slated to hit cinema screens in June 2020.
For Yahya, the part will come as he's set to appear in another production by Jordan Peele - a thriller named 'Us' - next month.
Yayha's role in 'Us' is still unknown, but the flick tells the story of a family who head to their beach house in the hopes of spending time with friends, but arrive to find a group of strangers known as The Tethered, who look exactly like them.